The Spirit of The Black Panther
by Wreckless Spirit
Summary: One of Hilary's friends moves to Japan. The Bladebreakers welcome her to their circle of friends, much to Kai's dislike. But are those his real feelings towards the new girl? And what happens when the gang discover her past? KaiOC sum TyHil 'FINISHED'
1. Salutations!

Heya everyone, this is my first ever fanfiction so please be nice. I won't do any character profiles because all will be explained as the story unfolds.  
All I will say is the story's set after V force. So here goes, enjoy.  
Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade but I do own my OCs

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**Chapter 1: Salutations!**

- At the Airport -  
Hilary was frantically checking through the list of 'New Arrivals' on the board in the waiting lounge. The others, Tyson, Rei, Max and Kenny were sitting down watching her. Kai was in his usual stance; arms folded, leaning against a nearby wall.

"Hey why are we here again guys?" moaned Tyson 

"Surely you can't have foregotten already Tyson!" exclaimed Max. Tyson didn't answer.

"Man you really do have a short memory!" joked Rei "Either that or your just stupid...." All the boys burst out laughing, Kai just grunted an shut his eyes.  
  
"Will you lot shut up! I'm trying to concentrate here!" shouted Hilary, the boys immeadiately fell silent, no one messed with Hillary when she shouted. "I can't find the flight anwhere," the girl continued "I'm going to ask the attendent over there and see if he can help." With that she stormed off to a feeble looking guy in an airport unifom. Everyone was quiet until Tyson broke the slience.  
  
"You still havn't answered my question guys" Rei, Max and Kenny let out small sniggers.  
  
"The reason, my dear friend that we are here at the airport, is that we are awaiting the arrival of Hilary's friend from Korea" chuckled Max  
  
"What! Hilary has friends!" Tyson's outburst caused the boys to burst into laughter.  
  
Kai simply rolled his eyes. '_Idiots_' he thought  
  
"Ok, ok" said Tyson once they'd ceased laughing. "So Hils waiting for her friend, but why'd she have to drag us along too?"  
  
"_SHE_ dragged _YOU_ along Tyson, because it's about time _YOU _did something to help me for a change after all the work I've put into the team!!!" Yelled Hilary into Tyson's earhole causing him to jump right off his chair.  
  
"Ow Hil! Did you have to yell so loud in my ear?"  
  
"Hmph!" replied the girl crossing her arms and turning away from the boy. She turned her nose up - into a usual Hilary stance.  
  
"Did you find out anything about the plane Hilary?" asked Kenny, trying to change the subject.  
  
Hilary's expression softened. "Well the guy said the plane's arrived, so I guess we'll just have to wait for Cassie to show up."  
  
"Who's Cassie?" asked Tyson - everyone fell over in true anime style.  
  
"Cassie's her friend, dimwit" said Kai rather sharply whilst clipping Tyson over the head.  
  
"Ow!" moaned the boy whilst rubbing his head. "How was I supposed to know?" He then began muttering, "I don't know why I agreed to come and wait for some stupid girl I don't know, if all I'm gonna get is abuse. She's probably going to be really annoying; if she's like Hilary then that..." he was cut short when a female voice shrieked "HILARY!!!" The next thing they know, Hilary and a girl are in a huge hug saying the usual bla people say when they haven't seen each other in long time. "Oh my God it's so good to see you!"etc. At this point the boys were stood up watching the two reunited friends, Cassie had her back to them. Looking over her friend's shoulder, Hilary saw the Bladebreakers waiting patiently to be introduced to the new girl. "Hey Cassie, I'd like to introduce you to my friends the Bladebreakers.... Guys this is my friend Cassie."  
  
As soon as the girl turned around their jaws dropped. Cassie was very beautiful. She was around Hilary's height and build, but she had long, wavy black hair that fell just above her waist. Her eyes were dark lilac and seemed to sparkle when she smiled at them. She wore flared jeans and a cream strappy top with a beige shirt over the top, she also had a beige beret style hat and casual trainers on. Her skin was fairly pale, save her rosy cheeks. Even Kai had to admit she was stunning, his mouth was wide open and his eyes looked as if they'd pop out! However when he realised he was gauping at the poor girl, he quickly returned to his emotionless expression and crossed his arms. The other were not quite as quick to regain their original composure.  
  
"You gonna catch flies with them mouths?" smirked Cassie, at this the boys' mouths snapped shut.  
  
Cassie gigled and said "Salutations, I'm Cassie," she waved and smiled sweetly at them. Tysons mouth dropped once again. Kai rolled his eyes when he saw this.  
  
"That means 'Hello' Tyson" he sighed.  
  
"Huh? Oh yeah... corse... I knew that already, Kai" stuttered Tyson  
  
The dark haired girl giggled again, and turned to the boys. "Hilary's told me so much about you guys... especially..." Cassie turned and whispered something to Hilary; Hilary's eyes shot wide open and she began to blush, she then glared at cassie who reacted to the glare by winking.  
  
Hilary grit her teeth whilst saying "Isn't it time we got you to your Auntie's Cassie?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess she'll be wondering where I've got to."  
  
And with that Cassie took her case and followed her new friends out of the airport.

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Ok well there's the first chapter, I hope you liked it. The story will get better, I promise, its just hard to get started. I'd be gratefull for any reviews, fanx.  
Peace out 


	2. Tea With the Bladebreakers

Hey folks, here's chapter 2, enjoy!  
Dissclaimer: I do not own beyblade, but I do own my OC's

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****

**Chapter 2: Tea with the Bladebreakers**  
  
The Bladebreakers escorted Cassie to her Auntie's house to drop off her bags. They were still curious to learn more about Cassie and so invited her to the cafe in the local BBA training centre. Max ordered a Pepsi Max, Tyson a Sprite, Ray and Kenny had Orange Tango, Hilary had apple juice, Kai had water and Cassie had a cup of tea (much to the suprise of everyone except Hilary, who knew of Cassie's love for the drink).  
  
"So Cassie, what brings you to Japan?" asked Rei in his usual friendly tone.  
  
The girl looked at her lap and began twiddling the end of her shirt. Her face showed sadness.  
  
"Well... um, my parents are getting divorced so I've kinda been shipped over here to stay with my Aunt. At least until my Mum comes over and we can start our new life here"  
  
An awkward silence followed until Cassie started to giggle quietly.  
  
"Whats so funny?" asked a puzzled Tyson.  
  
"I can't believe I'm actually drinking tea with the world champ Bladebreakers" smiled Cassie who was obviously trying to change the subjest as soon as possible. "Hey maybe I could come watch you blade sometime."  
  
Kai eyed her sharply before rising out of his chair and turning to leave.  
  
"Dude where you going?"  
  
"In case you haven't noticed Tyson, we've _wasted_ half a day of training already." He looked at Cassie when he said 'wasted'. "I suggest you join me in 20 minutes to catch up on lost time," and with that he walked away.  
  
"Nice to meet you Kai," said Cassie sweetly  
  
"Hmph"  
  
A hurt looking Cassie turned to Hilary "Was it something I said?"  
  
"Don't worry about him, he's always like that," reassured her friend  
  
"Yeah he's not exactly what you call social," added Max  
  
"And I don't fink he likes people watching us train," said Rei "Afterall, so many people have tried to learn our techniques."  
  
"And steal your Bitbeasts," added Kenny  
  
The Bladebreakers then told Cassie of their adventures since they first became a team, including the events with Team Psykick, Dr Zagart and Zeo.  
  
"Well, well... You guys have had a lot of adventures haven't you. I can see why Kai's cautious of others watching him train. Maybe I shouldn't come see you train, I mean, if it's going to upset him..."  
  
"Nonsense, we'd love you to come watch us train. It'll give you a chance to see meet beat Tyson."  
  
"Oh haha very funny Max."  
  
"Speaking of training, I think it's time you guys went to train or Kai'll have a fit!"  
  
"Yeah Kenny, I guess you're right" replied Rei. "Come on guys, you coming girls?"  
  
"Um, we'll join you later Rei," said Hilary "I'd like to catch up with Cassie first, if that's ok."  
  
"Sure thing. Ok see you both later, it was really nice to meet you Cassie, bye."  
  
The boys said their goodbyes and headed off to train with Kai. Both girls immeadiately began 'catching up' with each other. There was a slight pause before Cassie said,  
  
"So what's the real with Kai then?"  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well why's he so secretive and cut away from the group, the others seem so close"  
  
"Kai is close, he just doesn't like to show it. It's just the way he is."  
  
"But why though? I mean, something must have happened to make him like that." - Hillary turned away from her friend and sighed.  
  
"Something did happen," she said sadly. "Look I don't think Kai would want you to know, but I know I can trust you...."  
  
And so Hilary began to tell Cassie about Voltaire and Boris and how Kai had been brought up in the Biovolt Abbey. Followed by the story of Black Dranzer and the Russian tournament. Some of the details were a bit sketchy because Hilary only knew what the boys had told her, seen as she wasn't part of the team at that time. Even so, Cassie was still shocked by the story.  
  
"Kai never talks about it, so you mustn't say anything about it to anyone."  
  
"I promise I won't, don't worry... Still it explains why he's so mysterious."  
  
Hilary looked at her friend. "You like him, don't you?"  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"I know that twinkle in your eye. You do don't you?"  
  
Cassie smirked. "What can I say, mysterious people just intrigue me. Plus you gotta admit, he is pretty cute."  
  
"Well _good luck_ is all I can say"  
  
"Still...." Cassie took a sip from her tea "That Tyson's pretty cute too."  
  
"If you like that sort of thing," snorted Hilary.  
  
"So you're not interested in him?"  
  
"Why would I be interested in that arogant, stupid pig?" Hilary took a sip from her drink.  
  
"Maybe I could try my luck with him then, he seemed to like me..."  
  
Hilary began to choke on her drink, spraying apple juice all over the table. Whilst still choking she deperately tried to dry the table with her napkin. Cassie stared at her in amusement, laughing immensely.  
  
"Don't worry Hil, I'm only messing with you. I can see you like Tyson; you can have him all to yourself!"  
  
Hilary scoffed before returing to mop herself up. Cassie smiled to herself; she knew when her firend like someone but she also knew how stubborn Hilary could be.  
Never in a million years would Hillary admit to liking them.  
  
"We'd best be joining the guys now," said the brunette once she's finshed mopping herself.  
  
"You sure I can come? I don't think Kai will like me being there."  
  
"Don't worry, if he moans, I'll sort him out."  
  
With that the two girls went off to find the boys at the BBA training stadiums.

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So was it bad? It was wasn't it? Well as I keep saying, the story will get better (I hope) Anyhow the action will start probably in around chapters 5 and 6. Until then, c ya.


	3. Patiere

Heya thanks to all of you who have reviewed so far, I'm so chuffed you liked it. So heres the update you asked for, its the longest chap so far. Enjoy

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**Chapter 3: Patiere  
**  
When the girls arrived, they found Kenny analysing a battle between Kai and Rei. Tyson and Max were sitting at the side watching, although they were both looking rather bored.  
  
"Cassie, you came!" exclaimed Max with a big smile spread across his face.  
  
Rei looked up to greet the girls; this gave Kai the opportunity to knock Drigger out of the stadium.  
  
"You shouldn't be so easily distracted Rei," said Kai fiercely.  
  
"Well its rude not to acknowledge a guest Kai," then he thought silently _'not that you'd care'_.  
  
Kai grunted something before relaunching Dranzer, presumably to train individually.  
  
"Let me know when your _ready_ to train then," muttered the captain. Rei rolled his eyes and joined the others nearby, leaving Kai alone.  
  
"Sorry for making you loose Rei. I knew I shouldn't have come, I'm only..."  
  
"Cassie its no big deal, honest. I'll just beat him next time."  
  
"And ignore Mr. Grumpy Guts over there, he's way too uptight." This comment from Tyson earned him a death glare from Kai, secretly the captain was listening to their conversation.  
  
"How come you two aren't training?" Asked Hilary to Max and Tyson  
  
"Tyson forgot to reserve two stadiums, when I'd asked him to. This was the only ring free." Replied Kai simply even though there was a hint of annoyance in his voice.  
  
Tyson was about to reply to Kai's comment but Max put a hand over his mouth. The blonde boy didn't want his friends to argue, especially when they where in front of Cassie.

- **Cassie's POV** -  
  
I could see that Kai obviously wanted the team to train together, right here, right now. From what Hilary had told me on the way here, Tyson hadn't trained for a while now because he went to some all-you-can-eat buffet, or something. I glanced over at two boys practicing at the stadium across the room from us. A thought crossed my mind. This was my chance to prove to Kai that I was a friend not foe.  
  
"I'll be back in a minute guys," I said before strolling up to the two lads who couldn't have been more than 11 years old.

They were both fairly short and young looking; the taller one had short pale brown hair and wore a blue T-shirt and shorts. The other boy had short red hair, and had on a green T-shirt and shorts, which made him look like a leprechaun. I could feel my new friends watching me even though I had my back to them, I just hoped my plan would work.  
The two boys watched as I approached them.  
  
"Hey there fellas, listen can ask you guys a huge favour?"  
  
"Depends on what that favour is," replied the taller one, rather smugly.  
  
"You see my friends over there," I said gesturing towards the Bladebreakers, the two boys nodded. "Well they really need to train; and I wondered if you two gentlemen would kindly let them use this stadium."  
  
"No way!" said the other boy shaking his head.  
  
"Very well, I had hoped I wouldn't have to do this... but I guess you leave me no choice," I replied casually.

- **Kai's POV** -  
  
I saw the two boys shake their heads, then I noticed Cassie pull out something from her pocket. It seemed to glisten purple in the light, but I couldn't tell what it was. Whatever it was, it made the two boys faces pale considerably, their smug expressions disappeared. The taller boy said something as he marched up to Cassie, but the other boy began to pull him back. She seemed as calm as ever.

- **Normal POV** -  
  
As the two boys stomped off, Cassie returned to the stunned Bladebreakers.  
  
"You two can use that stadium over there now," she said smiling.  
  
"How'd you get them to leave? I thought they weren't gonna budge!" exclaimed a puzzled Tyson.  
  
"I thought they wouldn't either, but in the end I persuaded them."  
  
"What exactly did you do?" asked Kai, obviously suspicious of the girl.  
  
"Oh I just challenged them to a beybattle."  
  
"You Beyblade!!!" exclaimed everyone in unison.  
  
"Yeah... though not as much as you guys do."  
  
"So I suppose, that thing you showed those two boys was your beyblade," continued Kai  
  
"Yep, I guess it must have looked impressive or something, cause when I showed them it they scappered pretty sharpish," the girl smirked at the memory.  
  
"Can we see it," Hilary gave Kai a look that said _'Be Nice_' making him add a reluctant "please" to his previous question, causin Cassie to raise an eyebrow.  
  
"Um... yeah, I guess,"  
  
From her pocket the girl pulled out her blade and handed it to the stern looking captain. He took it and examined it closely. The blade looked like Tyson's only it was a deep violet colour.  
  
"This is Patiere, or Patiere Noir if you want her full name" (Patiere is pronounced pa-tea-er)  
  
"Black Panther," whispered Rei, saying his thoughts out loud by accident.  
  
"Very good Rei, you know your stuff," Cassie's smile caused him to blush slightly.  
  
Taking a closer look at the blade, Kenny could see her bit chip had a picture of a black panther engraved on it. It appeared to be standing in purple flames. Unlike most Bitbeasts, Patiere had no armour, it looked just like a real panther with silky fur that was pure black. Her most distinguishable feature was her bright yellow cat eyes.  
  
"Hey guys, you go train. I'm just gonna analyse Patiere's stats on Dizzi.... If thats alright with you Cassie,"  
  
"Sure thing. Hey Max I'll be over to see you beat Tyson in a minute,"  
  
With that Max and Tyson went with Hilary to the newly aquired stadium, while Rei and Kai resumed their original game. Kenny and Cassie sat down to analyse Patiere. It took no more than ten minutes after the Chief had asked Cassie a few questions. The Korean then went over to an over confident Tyson and his not so cocky friend.  
  
"How you doing Max?"  
  
"Drawing, this games the decider, but at the moment he's beating me."  
  
Max was right. Dragoon had almost pushed Draciel to the edge of the ring. Cassie studied the match carefully, Draciel was begining to weaken. She went up to Max and whispered something in his ear.  
  
"Will that work?" he asked  
  
"Should do, I think. It's worth a shot at least."  
  
The blonde boy shrugged and summoned Draciel to zip round Dragoon. The green blade headed at high speed to the opposite edge of the ring, Dragoon followed but stopped in the centre of the ring.  
  
_'There's no need to attack,'_ thought Tyson, _'At the rate Draciel's going hes gonna fly out the ring by himself!'  
_  
But he was wrong, Draciel was going so fast that when it came to the edge of the ring it flew vertically up, when it came back down it landed directly on top of Dragoon. The force of Draciel sent Dragoon crashing out of the stadium. Max emerged victorious.  
  
"Yes!" shouted Max puching the air. "Told you I'd beat you buddy!"  
  
"Lucky shot," muttered Tyson  
  
"Man that was awesome Cassie. How'd you know that would work?" asked the blonde boy  
  
"Um, I dunno," replied Cassie modestly. "It was a guess really."  
  
"Well I thought it was a brilliant guess" added Hilary cheerfully  
  
"Haha, well I'm gonna see how Rei's getting on, speak to you later."

--- At Rei and Kai ---  
  
The two boys had finished their battle which had ended in a draw. Kenny now wanted to test their stamana and had asked them both to see how long their two blades could keep spining, whilst circling in the dish; so far they were both spinning very strong. Kai looked up at the approaching girl. She smiled a dazzling smile at him. It held him for a split second before he shook his head and returned to watch Dranzer.  
  
"What was all the commotion over there about?" asked Rei still trying to focus on Driger  
  
"Oh I just helped Max beat Tyson" replied Cassie  
  
"Good for you," Rei gave her a slight wink  
  
"Not that I don't enjoy seeing Tyson loose or anything; but the whole point of training is for them to find out new techniques for themselves," snapped Kai  
  
Cassie bit her lip. "Um... I... I was only trying to help Kai," she sounded a little deflated. "Sorry."  
  
"Hmph"  
  
An awkward silence fell upon the teens. Cassie continued to watch the blades spinning, Rei seemed annoyed at his captains bluntness whereas Kai seemed unfazed.  
The girl looked at her watch.  
  
"I better be going now, I told my Aunt I'd be back at 7pm and its already half past! I'll just go say bye to the others and then be off."  
  
"Oh ok. It was lovely to see you again Cassie, see you soon." replied a smiling Rei.  
  
"Bye Kai"  
  
But Kai ignored her. This obviously hurt her feelings, though she didn't say anything and continued to walk over to the others.

* * *

Rei summoned Driger back to him and folded his arms. He was frowning heavily.  
  
"Ok Kai, please tell me what your problem with Cassie is."  
  
"I don't have a problem with her," anwered Kai as he caught Dranzer.  
  
"Then why were you so rude to her?"  
  
"I wasn't."  
  
Rei raised an eyebrow, he was now really annoyed with his friend.  
  
"Well I didn't mean to be if I was."  
  
"Well you were, and I think you should appologise to her. Or is the great Kai too proud to admit his faults?"  
  
This earned Rei a death glare, but he didn't flinch and continued to stare staright back at his captain.  
  
"I'm waiting for an answer Kai."  
  
The blue haired boy looked over at the new girl; she was smiling but he could see the hurt in her eyes. For the first time in his life, Kai felt guilty about his actions.  
  
"Fine, I'll apologise," he grunted.

* * *

"See ya soon guys" waved Cassie.  
  
She began to head out of the BBA building, suddenly she felt a hand on her shoulder. When she turned round she saw the hand belonged to Kai.  
  
"Hey I'm... I'm sorry if I was rude to you earlier. I didn't mean anything by it." Kai was half expecting the pretty girl to laugh in his face, but she just smiled gently.  
  
"It's ok, thank you for apologising Kai."  
  
"........"  
  
"I better go now, see you round Kai." She turned to leave.  
  
"Which way you going back?"  
  
She stopped and turned to look at the boy. "Um, through Wickens Alley."  
  
"I'll come with you."  
  
"Kai you don't have to, I've accepted your apology."  
  
"I know that but its getting dark... you shouldn't go through there alone, it can be.... erm, dangerous."  
  
"Oh. Well if your sure, thank you."  
  
Kai and Cassie left the building, leaving their friends completly stunned. They had watched the whole conversation between the teens, and it shocked them. Never before had they seen their captain apologise to... well anyone!

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So how'd you like it, plz review, I'd be soooooooo grateful. In the next chapter you'll find out a bit about Cassie and her sad past, the next update should be soon. Until then

x Peace Out x


	4. Her Past Revealed

Hey peeps thanks for your reviews. Heres chapter 4, enjoy. Dissclaimer: I do not own beyblade, but my OC's are mine

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**Chapter 4: Her Past Revealed  
**  
The two teenagers walked along Tokyo's streets in silence; they had to walk a couple of blocks before entering the alley. Wickens Alley was a super long alley that ran from one side of the city to pretty much the other side. It was formed by the backs of various bulidings (like the alleys the Bladebreakers go through in Hong Kong). There were occasional exits along the alley, but it was mainly a continuous brick wall on either side of this dimly lit backstreet. As the two entered the alley Cassie giggled quietly.  
  
"What's so funny?" asked a puzzled Kai  
  
"You are! I mean earlier on today you totally ignored me, and now you're walking me home," giggled the girl. "You're such a mystery!"  
  
"Yeah well count yourself lucky, cause I don't usually help people I don't know."  
  
Another silence fell upon the two, only their footsteps could be heard.  
  
"Why do you always push people away Kai?"  
  
"What?!" This question caught Kai off guard, it was totally unexpected.  
  
"Well to me you seen the _'Lone Wolf'_ kinda guy. I just wondered why... Is it because of your childhood..."  
  
"Who told you about that!" demanded Kai  
  
"It doesn't matter who, I just don't understand why you let your past haunt you."  
  
"You have no idea what my past is and I doubt you'd understand what I've been through if you did!" shouted Kai, he quickened his pace.  
  
Cassie followed behind at normal pace but gradually slowed to a halt.  
  
"You're not the only one with a shattered childhood, but I don't let mine haunt me."  
  
"What?!" Kai stopped and turned to face the girl behind him.  
  
"I'm an orphan too," she said sadly, avoiding his gaze.  
  
"But your mother... You said.... She...."  
  
"I'm adopted. My real family lived in North Korea. When I was only a baby, some soldiers stormed our village; my mother gave me to a neighbour who was fleeing the village by horse. Before my mother could escape a soldier shot her. They also murdered my father and two older brothers, I was the only one who survived. Luckily my neighbour knew my family well; she passed me onto my grandmother who lived across the border in South Korea. Grandma took care of me dearly, sadly she died when I was five. I had no other family so I was put up for adoption, where a Mr. and Mrs. Greendale adopted me into a _stable_ family unit. Only now they're getting a divorce. Some stability!" she sighed sadly.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know about your family..."  
  
"It's ok. If I'm honest I don't remember them, only odd memories of my Grandma. I only have this one picture to remember them by."  
  
She pulled out a photo from her purse and handed it to Kai. It showed a handsome man, with brown hair and a beautiful woman, with long black wavy hair; they both wore traditional robes, one white and one pink. They stood either side of an elderly woman, also in tradtional dress, who was holding a baby - Cassie. In front of them sat two boys dressed in green robes, they had short brown hair like their father, they looked about 5 and 7 years old. All were smiling like a family should.  
  
"You've got your mother's looks," said Kai without thinking. Realising what he said, his cheeks turned slighty pink - lucky for him the alley was quite dark so Cassie didn't notice.  
  
"Well I'm not sure about that, but thanks anyhow." she said returning the photo to her purse and started to walk along the alley. Kai followed silently.  
  
"You know Kai, we're not so different. We both have our secret dark past. I mean your one of only three people that now I'm adopted, the others are Hilary and Daren."  
  
"Is that your boyfriend?"  
  
"Oh gosh no! He's my bestfriend, like a brother to me he is."  
  
_'So she's single'_ thought Kai as they came to a courtyard in the alley.  
  
Then he noticed Cassie had stopped walking. Her eyes stayed staring across the courtyard, they flickered in fear.  
  
"What's wrong?" asked the captain.  
  
"There's someone there, up ahead." she whispered  
  
Kai looked to where she was pointing. Sure enough he could see the silhouette of a cloaked figure standing at the opposite end of the courtyard. Suddenly there was a loud explosion, the buildings either side of Cassie and Kai shook viciously sending a tower of bricks hurtling towards the two teens.

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Dun dun daaa!!!! Ooooo there's a cliffy for ya all. Hope you enjoyed it. The action starts in the next chap so tune in to see what happens. R&R plz! 


	5. Unfair Challenge

Hey guys I haven't updated in a while cause I've been a bit busy recently, sorry. No one's sent me a review of the last chapter, so I don't know if you like it or not.  
I don't even know if people are reading it anymore (sob...sob) so please review if you are, even if you just put 'I read it' or something; its just to let me know.  
Well heres the next chap enjoy  
Disclaimer: I do not own beyblade

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**Chapter 5: Unfair Challenge  
**  
Cassie looked up to see the building plummet towards her, suddenly she was pushed from behind causing her to fall forwards and narrowly escape the falling bricks.  
  
_'That was close, I guess Kai must have pushed me... Kai!'_ she thought.  
  
The girl looked around frantically, the boy was nowhere to be seen. Panic filled her body.  
  
"Kai!" she shouted as she got to her feet. A sharp pain throbbed in her right ankle, but her concern for Kai blocked out the agony she experienced. The falling building had created a new wall in the entrance where the alley met the courtyard. Cassie was on the side of the courtyard, but where was Kai? The girl desperatly began to scramble through the debris, her worst fear being that the boy was trapped under the rubble.  
  
"Kai! Kai please answer me!"  
  
"I'm alright Cassie," answered a muffled voice from the other side of the wall.  
  
Cassie followed where the voice was coming from. She could now see the boy through a tiny gap in the fallen bricks, and he could see her.  
  
"I missed the wall, are you ok though?" asked Kai with concern. He was brushing some dust off his clothes.  
  
"Yeah I'm fine, but I think I've twisted my ankle,"  
  
"Cassie I'm gonna find a way round to you, now stay there,"  
  
"Don't think there's much chance in me running away," smirked the girl.  
  
Kai smiled at her sarcasm before sprinting away. As Cassie sat down she could hear his footsteps fade silently into the night. Her ankle was aching quite badly now, she could feel it slowly swelling inside her trainer. Leaning back against the wall she closed her eyes, she hated being alone especially when she was hurt. Then she remembered the cloaked figure, her eyes shot open.  
  
It was still there, only now it was joined by three others; one of a similar height, one much larger in all aspects and one much shorter than the rest. The four silhouettes stood tall in the moonlight. Feeling vunerable sitting down, Cassie rose to her feet even though it put a great strain on her injured ankle. Suddenly more people, this time uncloaked, appeared from the surrounding buildings. The Korean recognised the two young boys she'd challenged earlier on in the day.  
  
A group of around a dozen stood facing Cassie now; the four cloaked figures stayed aside from the rest, but watched with interest at what was going on.  
  
"Wha-What do you want?" stuttered the injured girl as she backed up against the wall. Usually Cassie would appear condident even in the most threating circumstances but now she felt vunerable. She would be defenceless if these guys attacked her now.  
  
An older boy stepped forward from the others. He was tall and slim, with long blonde hair that had a red streak down one side. The boy was dressed in jeans and a pale blue shirt over a white T-shirt. He seemed to be the leader of the uncloaked strangers. His voice was stern as he spoke.  
  
"Earlier on you challenged my little brother to a beybattle, and he seemed to think you were a strong opponant even though he didn't fight you. Care to see just _how_ strong you are? I've gathered all my mates here to test your strength." He had the same cocky personality of his little brother.  
  
"And what about them over there?" Asked Cassie as she gestured towards the hooded figures.  
  
"Oh we've just come to see if the legend of the Black Panther is true," said the original cloaked person.  
  
"And what legend would that be?"  
  
"That the Black Panther is the most powerful Bitbeast in the world!" exclaimed a female voice that came from the second hooded person.  
  
"Well I'd hate to disapoint you then," replied Cassie, she turned back to the older boy. "So I guess you'll be wanting to go first yeah?"  
  
The boy laughed menicingly.  
  
"Oh we'll _all _be going first. You'd surely beat us individually."  
  
"I'm gonna beat you all anyway, so it really doesn't matter if you go one at a time or all together. Though I must say it's a bit unfair on me." Answered Cassie whilst preparing her blade for battle. The strangers did the same.  
  
"Come on boys, show me what you've got. I'm ready for you all!"  
  
With that she released Patiere, as did the first six of her unclocked opponants. With great ease Patiere knocked out her enemies one by one. The older boy grit his teeth.  
  
"Lucky for you those first six were amateurs, however I think you'll find _we'll _be more of a challenge."  
  
The next six, inlcuding the older boy, released their blades. The cloaked figures remained motionless, watching the battle closely. Once again Patiere began to defeat her opponants with great ease. No one even managed to attack the purple blade as it simply dodged their feeble attempts. Soon only Cassie's and the older boy's blade remained. He attacked again and again but Patiere seemed unaffected by the assaults.  
  
"I'm bored now." Stated Cassie and with one fatal hit the boy's blade was knocked out.  
  
"That's impossible!" cried the boy. "You'll pay for this insult!" he declared before running off with the rest of the defeated boys.  
  
The dark haired girl shrugged and looked at her blade. Patiere was still spinning strongly, even though it had lost some speed after the previous battle. Just then a black blade slammed into the purple blade, followed by three others. This time Patiere did waver. These baldes were stronger, Cassie could feel it. She looked up to find the four cloaked figures facing her, all she could see of their faces was their glowing amber eyes.  
  
"Now its time for you to battle the professionals." said their leader.  
  
All four blades began to slam into Patiere, causing Cassie to scream in pain.

* * *

Well there you are. Who are these mysterious cloaked people? I have left some clues, any guesses? Without trying to sound too desperate, please, please review!  
Untill next time.....


	6. Kai to the Rescue!

Heya peeps, well I got one review on me last chapter. Thanx soooooo much Diamond Core - big hugz 2 ya! I hope other people are reading my fic, and I apologise for kinda demanding reviews, cus lets face it, that was a bit rude of me weren't it? Anyway on with the story.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

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**Chapter 6: Kai to the Rescue!  
**  
_- Kai's POV -  
_  
I heard a scream as I ran through the side alleys to reach Cassie. I recognised that voice, it was her! Suddenly a purple glow filled the night sky, I looked up to see a black panther roar in pain. It must have been Cassie's bitbeast Patiere. It roared again as four other bitbeasts attacked it. I couldn't see what they were because they moved so fast, but I knew one thing for certain; Cassie and Patiere were in trouble. With this thought I sprinted on even faster than before.

* * *

With Cassie

- _Normal POV_ -  
  
The purple blade weakened quickly as the other four blades continuously slammed into it. Cassie had summoned out Patiere thinking this would help her, however all of the cloaked people had bitbeasts too. They were by far the strongest opponants Cassie had ever batttled.  
  
"Tiger Claw!" commanded the leader of the cloaked people.  
  
Patiere roared in pain as the enemy's attack slashed Patiere's front left leg.  
  
"Ahhhh!" screamed Cassie as she fell to her knees clutching her bleeding arm.  
  
Her wounds mimicked that of her precious Bitbeast. The wound on her arm combined with her injured ankle overwhelmed Cassie, she was now too weak to fight. The purple blade began to slow down.  
  
"Time to finish this!" declared the leader.  
  
His blade went in for the kill but was met by a certain blue blade and red phoenix.  
  
"What?! Dranzer?"  
  
"The one and only," said Kai as he stepped in front of the wounded girl to protect her.  
  
He had expected them to continue their attack but instead the strangers called back their blades and fled the alley.  
  
'_Strange'_ puzzled Kai  
  
"Kai..." groaned the injured girl. "...Have they gone?"  
  
"Yeah. Here let me see your arm."  
  
The captain crouched down beside her and examined the wound. It was pretty deep and bleeding heavily. Kai began to unravel the scarf around his neck.  
(A/N - He's in his G-Rev clothes by the way)  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I need to stop your arm bleeding, this will act as a bandage."  
  
"But you'll get blood all over it,"  
  
"That's the least of my worries," he whispered as he tied the scarf around the wound, causing Cassie to wince, though she didn't complain. "There, that should do until I get you to hospital."  
  
"Hospital!" groaned the girl  
  
"Yeah, it looks like you're gonna need some stitches. We better go now, can you walk ok?"  
  
"I'll see now"  
  
Pulling herself up, Cassie began to limp along the alley.  
  
"Yeah I can walk,"  
  
However it only took a few more paces before her ankle gave way, causing the girl to fall to the ground. Lukily Kai caught her.  
  
"No you can't," he said smugly.  
  
Before Cassie could argue with him, he swooped her up in his arms. The girl blushed at this unexpected action, but she had to admit she quite like it.  
  
"You can't possibly carry me to the clinic, its too far away!" protested the girl.  
  
"I wasn't planning to," replied the boy jokingly. "There's a taxi rank at the end of the alley. Hopefully someone will give us a lift there."  
  
"And what if they don't?"  
  
"Then I guess I will have to carry you all the way," he said with a wink.  
  
Cassie smiled, she couldn't believe this was the same guy that, not so long ago, had made her feel so unwelcome. Now he was pratically her saviour.  
  
_'Maybe he's not such a sour puss afterall,'_ she thought. _'I mean he did save me, that's gotta count for somthing. If it wasn't for him, then who knows what those people might have done. I owe him big time.' _


	7. Those Eyes

Heya folks. Hmmmmmm so you think it was Rei that attacked Cassie and Kai eh? I can see where you're coming from, I guess you'll have to wait and see.  
Anyways on with the story.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade.

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****

**Chapter 7: Those Eyes  
**  
Hilary, Rei, Max, Kenny and Tyson were gathered inside the dojo. The Bladebreakers had organised a meeting about the upcoming Japan tournament to be held in a months time. All were present except one vital member, their captain.  
  
"Something must be wrong. Kai's never late unless somethings up."  
  
"I agree with Rei, Kai's usually the first to arrive unless..."  
  
"Kenny don't be such a worry pants, he's probably training Dranzer and lost track of the time."  
  
"Hilary's right, its either that or he totally forgot we had a meeting today."  
  
"Kai never forgets Tyson."  
  
"True, I suppose - anyhow lets just get on with the meeting without him."  
  
"We can't have a meeting without our captain Tyson!" protested Max. "I'm sure he'll be along anytime now... Hey, maybe somthing happened with Cassie last night, afterall he did take her home last night."  
  
"Yeah and maybe pigs can fly Max." replied Tyson sarcastically. "You know Kai hates socialising with people."  
  
"I think its just you Kai hates socialisng with Tyson!"  
  
"Oh ha ha Chief! I thought you were supposed to be on my side!"  
  
The gang laughed as Tyson sulked in the corner, he looked just like a five year old who wasn't allowed any candy! His face crumpled up into a deep frown, creating even more laughter from his friends. The laughter stopped when the dojo door creaked open, and in came a limping Cassie with Kai supporting her right side.  
  
"Cassie! What happened!" exclaimed Hilary as she rushed over to support her friends left side.  
  
"Careful mind the arm! Its still real sore."  
  
Everyones attention fell onto the injured arm. Cassie was wearing a pale blue sleeveless top, so the gang could see her arm was bound with a medical bandage to stop her stitches from catching.  
  
"Nine stitches." Said Cassie proudly as she was helped to floor by Kai and Hilary, who sat either side of her.  
  
"So what happened?" enquired Rei  
  
"We were attacked," answered Kai  
  
They then told the gang what had happened the previous night. All listened completly stunned, even Tyson fell silent. For some reason Rei became suspicious of the new girl's blading ability.  
  
"So you battled all 16? At one time? By yourself?" asked the chinese boy.  
  
"Yeah, the first 12 were amateurs - easy to beat.... But the last four all had bitbeasts so they were stronger. They over powered me."  
  
"Still it takes a skilled blader to take on a dozen blades at once... I thought you said you didn't blade much,"  
  
"I said I didn't blade as much as you guys did, that doesn't mean I don't blade oftern. You lot train all the time..."  
  
"So you're not an amateur then?"  
  
"Well... no... not as such."  
  
She looked pleadingly to Hilary. Cassie didn't like people to know about her past in Korea, and her friend understood this.  
  
"Did you recoginse the attackers Cass?" asked Hilary, trying to change the subject.  
  
"Those two boys from the BBA were there, and the one's brother, I guess the others were their mates."  
  
"What about the four in cloaks?" asked Max. The girl shook her head.  
  
"They didn't show their faces. All I could say is, that there were three boys and a girl - well I think so at least."  
  
"Well what about their bitbeasts? Each one is unique. If you gave me a description then maybe Dizzi will have something in her data bank about the owners." suggested Kenny.  
  
The girl thought hard for a moment.  
  
"Now you mention it... they were all feline... um, there was a lion, a mountain cat, a lynx and leopard.....Oh and I remember the attack the leader used, because that's what cut my arm... He said it was the Tiger Claw or something."  
  
"The White Tigers!" cried Rei, his eyes turning to slits.  
  
Cassie gasped and grabbed Kai's arm.  
  
"Those eyes!" she whispered. "They had eyes like that!"  
  
"It definately sounds like the White Tigers," admitted Kenny.  
  
"It would explain why they recognised Dranzer," said Kai  
  
"Who are the White Tigers?" asked Cassie still holding onto Kai.  
  
"They're my old team." replied Rei, he shook his head. "No it can't be them, its against their code... they only fight in tournaments. I'm sorry Cassie you must be mistaken. It couldn't have been the Tiger Claw you heard."  
  
"Then how do you explain Cassie's wound Rei? It's definately the scar of the Tiger Claw, there's only two people I know who use that attack; you and Lee. Seeing as you were with the others all night, it must have been Lee; come to think of it, the blade Dranzer knocked away did look like his black blade."  
  
"Kai, I just don't think the White Tigers would attack like this, without a good reason at least."  
  
"What are you implying Rei? That Cassie deserved to get hurt?" Said Kai standing up.  
  
"No, I'm just saying the White Tigers must have had a good reason to attack her."  
  
The atmosphere began to get tense. Both boys were now standing up in agressive stances. Kai suddenly seemed very protective of the new girl and didn't enjoy Rei potentially saying she brought on the attack herself.  
  
"Boys calm down please. You two arguing isn't gonna solve anything, now sit down both of you." Cassie always had a nack at persuading boys to obey her, Rei and Kai seated themsleves.  
  
"Now it seems to me that the White Tigers are the culprits..." Rei opened his mouth but Cassie continued before he could speak. "However, I also believe they are innocent until proven guilty. So I propose we invite the White Tigers here, and ask them if it was them. And if it was, then they can give us the reason for their actions."  
  
"Sounds good to me," said Tyson.  
  
"I agree," answered Kai. Hilary, Kenny and Max also agreed.  
  
"Rei?"  
  
"Well ok...But, it's gonna be a bit awkward if we accuse them and it wasn't them."  
  
"Don't worry, we'll be subtle in asking it. Now listen up, this is what we're gonna do."

* * *

Ok I know that those aren't the White Tigers' Bitbeasts but hey its poetic license, afterall this is my fic so I changed a few minor details. I apologise if you don't like the change but it was the only way I could think of, to indicate it was them that attacked Cassie. Hope you like the story so far. Please review, you'd make me happy  
Thank you - Wreckless Spirit


	8. Operation UMT

Hello again  
Thanks for the mention in Love and Jealousy, I'm chuffed you like my idea (grins big grin)  
Diamond Core thank you sooo much for advertising this fic in your own - you're the greatest!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Operation U.M.T  
**  
Operation U.M.T standing for 'Un-Masked Tigers', as Tyson so cleverly thought of, had been organised. Rei had invited his former team round for supper at the dojo, as he always did when the White Tigers were in Japan.

Cassie was to arrive after the guests; the plan was that the Bladebreakers would look for any hint of recognition in the White Tigers' eyes, as Cassie walked in. Some of the Bladebreakers had chosen to observe a particular member of the opposite team. Kai had picked Lee, Rei-Mariah, Max-Kevin and Tyson-Gary. Hilary and Kenny were to observe the general atmosphere.  
  
The gang waited patiently in the main area of the dojo, all full of anxiety - even Max and Tyson were less hyper than usual. In fact, everyone seemed to be in a daydream of their own, thinking deeply in the silence. A knock at the door snapped them back to reality. Rei went to open the door, he was still against the idea that his friends were the ones who attacked Cassie and Kai, but he had to admit it did sound like the White Tigers.  
  
"Rei!" screamed a magenta haired girl as she hugged him tightly. "Its sooooooo good to see you !"  
  
"Its good to see you too Mariah," replied the boy, slightly embarressed. "Hey Guys."  
  
"Hey. Thanks for inviting us here Rei, it'll be great to catch up again. Afterall we haven't seen you for several months."  
  
Rei nodded happily and led his friends to the main room where the Bladebreakers sat. The two teams greeted each other like old friends should. It was only Kai who didn't welcome the new team; however this was not unusual as he rarely acknowledged anyone outside of the Bladebreakers. Coversation flowed naturally between the two teams, and everything seemed to be in order.  
  
When there was a knock at the main door again, Hilary made her excuses as she went to answer it.  
  
"Oh silly me, I forgot to say earlier... I've invited my friend over - she's new to town - that's ok isn't it guys?"  
  
"Sure thing Hil," replied Tyson acting totally suprised at the new visitor. "The more the merrier!"  
  
However Kai noticed Kevin and Gary exchange nervous looks at each other, and when Mariah glanced at Lee, the White Tiger captain shook his head quickly in a dismissive manner. Hilary soon returned helping the still limping Cassie. Immeadiately, the White Tigers went noticably tense. Lee folded his arms slowly and closed his eyes.  
  
"Guys this is my friend..."  
  
"We know who she is," snapped Lee as his eyes shot open to stare at the injured girl, shocking everyone including his own team.  
  
"Y-You do?" stuttered a suprised Hilary  
  
"So you _did _attack Cassie," said Rei sadly  
  
"Didn't you recognise out trademark attack on her arm?"  
  
"Well yes, but... I thought.... but its against the code?!"  
  
"Yes it was... But we had our reasons."  
  
"And what exactly _were_ those reasons?" demanded Kai  
  
"Is it because her bitbeast is feline?" asked Max  
  
"Partly yes, but there's another reason."  
  
Lee looked around at the puzzled faces of the Bladebreakers. Cassie, who was now seated, avoided his gaze and stared at the floor. She became increasingly nervous.  
  
"This girl's bitbeast is very powerful," continued Lee. "The bond she shares with it is exceptionally strong; _stronger than most,_ making it all the more dangerous."  
  
"Dangerous? I'm sorry you've lost me already," complained Tyson  
  
Lee rolled his eyes.  
  
"All bladers share some of their energy with their bitbeasts. However Cassie and Patiere share all of their energy, they are completely at one. This is why Cassie has the scar on her arm where my Galeon attacked Patiere. The dangerous part is that her mind and her bitbeast's are linked, not to mention the fact that they share each other's pain."  
  
"But how is that possible? There's no way a blader can be completely joined with a bitbeast!" exclaimed Kenny  
  
"Oh there's a way... But maybe Cassie here, should be the one to explain it... don't you think?"  
  
_**to be continued.....**_

_**

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**_  
Hehe well there's a kinda cliffie for you all. Hope you like it. I think this time I'll only update if I get at least three reviews. Its not much to ask for is it?  
So please review  
  
Wreckless Spirit


	9. Spirit Unleashed

Hey Peeps! Well I'm shocked, I thought it would take a few days to get 3 reviews but it only took one night!  
So I'll keep my promise, and update straight away. This chapter is gonna be very long, probably the longest so far.  
Hope you like it.

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**Chapter 9: Spirit Unleashed  
**  
"But how is that possible? There's no way a blader can be completely joined with a bitbeast!" exclaimed Kenny  
  
"Oh there's a way... But maybe Cassie here, should be the one to explain it... don't you think?"  
  
All attention fixed upon the black haired girl who continued to stare at the floor, it looked as if she was deep in thought.  
  
"It wasn't my fault," she mumbled "I didn't ask them to do it."  
  
"Do what Cassie?" asked Max  
  
The girl sighed sadly "Let me explain....When I was little, I lived in a village near a forest with my parents."  
  
Kai and Hilary, who knew about Cassie's past, knew she referred to her adoptive parents.  
  
"Our village used to be terrorised by a black panther. At night it would always come to our village and kill some of our livestock, but sometimes it would also attack people who ventured into the forest. When we were little we were warned never to go in there alone. One day a group of us decided to go into the forest to pick some berries, I must have been about six years old, but it was my first time in the forest."  
  
_**- Flashback -  
**_  
A young woman handed a basket to a small girl with long black hair. They were standing outside a straw hut.  
  
"Now be sure to stay with the group, I don't want you wondering off on your own."  
  
"Don't worry Mama, Daren said he'd look after me. He said he'd protect me."  
  
A boy of around eight years of age walked up to the hut. He had spikey, creamy-blonde hair and eyes that could only be described as a dark, pine-tree green. He wore a cream traditional rap around top, with dark grey trousers.  
  
"Heya squirt, you ready?"  
  
"Oh yes Daren. I am, I am!"  
  
The boy chuckled softly and took the younger girl by the hand. He led her to a group of people who were about to enter the forest. The lush forest had rich greenery which seemed to loom over the group. As they walked onward, the little girl's grip tightened.  
  
"Scared?" asked the boy  
  
"A little."  
  
"Don't worry, stay close to me and you'll be fine."  
  
_**- End Flashback -  
**_  
"We didn't have to go very far to reach the berries and I began to enjoy myself once Daren had taught me how to pick them. The joy soon faded when the black panther attacked.  
  
_**- Flashback -  
**_  
"The Black Panther!" screamed someone.  
  
Panic struck the group, people began running in all directions.  
  
"This way!" ordered the boy grabbing his friend's hand.  
  
The girl tried her best to keep up but as she was the youngest she was also the slowest.  
  
"Daren I can't keep up!"  
  
"You have to! Please, just keep running as fast as you can!"  
  
The girls screamed as she tripped on a protruding tree root.  
  
"Daren!"  
  
But the boy had gone, the girl began to sob to herself. As she scrambled to her feet, she could feel something watching her. Slowly, the girl turned around. Fear filled her eyes, as she saw the panther pounce.  
  
**_- End Flashback -_**  
  
"It attacked me several times. I screamed and screamed at the pain, praying for someone to help me. Daren heard my screams and came back with a few other older boys. They managed to scare the panther away by throwing stones at it. But they were too late, I was already badly hurt; bleeding heavily and unconcious. I was brought back to the village, but it was only a primitive place. It had no no hospital or modern medicines, only a medicine man. He tried his best and bandaged my wounds."  
  
**_- Flashback -_**  
  
The young woman was sitting on a wicker chair, she was being comforted by a young man. Both looked very pale, their eyes red from when they'd been crying.

A door to their right opened, a tall gentleman dressed in a pale green robe aproached the couple.  
  
"We've managed to stop the bleeding Mr. and Mrs. Greendale."  
  
The couple sighed in relief.  
  
"However your daughter is still unconcious. She's lost a lot of blood... I'm afraid her chance of surviving is very slim."  
  
At these last words the woman burst into tears. Her husband tried his best to comfort her.  
  
"Please there must be something you can do," he pleaded as tears fell from his eyes.  
  
"I'm sorry, but there's no medicine that can help her now... Only..."  
  
"Only what?"  
  
"Only magic can save her."  
  
"Magic?"  
  
The medicine man took a deep breath before continuing.  
  
"I know of a magic ritual that may be able to save your daughter."  
  
"What is it? Please tell us." said the mother in a desperate voice.  
  
"An old tale tells of how a person attacked by an animal can be revived. It requires the blood of the beast that attacked your daughter; the mixing of their blood conjoins the mixing of their spirits. Its death will result in her survival. I can perform the ritual, but we must hurry, it can not take place if your daughter has passed away."  
  
**_- End Flashback -_  
**  
"That night all the men in the village went hunting for the black panther that had attacked me. The creature was slain and brought back to the village. As promised the medicine man performed the ancient ritual, combining mine and Patiere's spirits. Her spirit was set into stone." Cassie pointed to the chip in her blade.  
  
"I used to carry it as a pendant but when I started blading I realised she could be used as a bitbeast, making us a stronger competator. However, there are downsides to our connection. We feel each other's pain, which is particularly dangerous when I'm blading. I'd never had a strong enough opponant to feel this negative effect before; then you guys showed up. Under usual circumstances I probably would have beaten all four of you, but my twisted ankle affected Patiere's performance too."  
  
Mariah smiled. "We realised that when we battled you, your bitbeast kept limping."  
  
"The other bad point to our connection is that if Patiere gets taken away from me, I die. At least that's what I've been told, I wouldn't like to risk it though."  
  
"So if they'd captured your bitbeast, you would have died?" asked Kai  
  
"Probably."  
  
"You realise you could have killed her?! Its a good job I came along when I did!" he said angrily.  
  
"We wouldn't have gone that far. I only used the Tiger Claw to see if the rumours were true," explained Lee. "I'm sorry for hurting your arm Cassie, really I am. I shouldn't have let my curiosity get the better of me."  
  
"Its ok Lee..." Cassie opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something else but stopped.  
  
Lee looked at her.  
  
"You were gonna say something?"  
  
The pretty girl bit her lip.  
  
"Um, yes... How did you know about me and Patiere? I mean, I thought it was only my village that knew."  
  
"Your tale is famous in our village," replied Gary  
  
"It is?"  
  
"Yes. You see our village worships all cats. We were told the tale of the Black Panther when we were very young." said Mariah  
  
"How come you didn't say anything Rei? Afterall you came from their village. Have you heard of the tale before?" asked Tyson  
  
His raven haired friend fidgeted slightly.  
  
"I remembered the name Patiere Noir, but I thought that tale was just a story made up to tell little children. I didnt think it was true."  
  
"You never were one to believe in old tales Rei." smiled Lee  
  
"So you knew of the story, but how'd you know it was me?" asked a still puzzled Cassie.  
  
"Kevin saw you at the BBA training centre. He recognised your blade and bit piece, and told us."  
  
"Still the little _sneak_ as ever." muttered Tyson causing Max and Kenny to giggle.  
  
"Still as _stupid_ as ever," retorted Kevin making Gary smirk.  
  
Max and Kenny had to restrain Tyson from going up to the little green haired dude and puching him in the face, much to Kevin's amusment. The atmosphere began to relax once again, although Kai was still suspicious of the White Tigers' motives. Later on when he and Lee were alone outside the dojo, Kai decided to interigate the White Tigers' leader.  
  
"Did you organise the attack on Cassie?" he asked Lee  
  
"Oh no. Kevin followed those two boys from the BBA. The one immeadiately went to his older brother. It was him that arranged the whole thing. Kevin told me the details and I decided we should go and watch. I knew she'd beat those amateurs easily if the rumours were true."  
  
"And if they weren't?"  
  
"We were prepared to help her should those goons get out of hand."  
  
"How noble," muttered the blue haired teen, the other boy ignored this comment.  
  
"So why all the questions Kai? Cassie's not exactly one of yours, so to speak. Why so eager to help her? It doesn't seem your style."  
  
"I don't approve of attacking innocent people. I was merely helping a friend of a friend."  
  
"Don't kid yourself Kai, you rushed to her aid like a knight in shining armour! She's a pretty thing mind, can't say I blame you if you do fancy her."  
  
Kai scoffed and turned away from Lee whilst crossing his arms.  
  
"As if!"  
  
"Whatever you say Kai." smirked Lee as he turned to leave. "But I don't think you can rap iron bars around your heart forever. Soon you'll realise that everyone, even you, need to feel emotions."  
  
The White Tiger returned inside, leaving the Bladebreaker captain outside in his usual stance; leaning against a wall, arms folded, eyes closed - deep in thought.

Tonight the air was cool and crisp, relaxing almost. No sounds of the nocturnal wildlife disturbed Kai's thought, for he was too troubled to be concerned with them.  
What Lee said had triggered something in Kai's mind.  
  
It was true, when Cassie had been atacked, Kai had felt a strange sensation that he had to help her. He cared about what could have happened to her, and so had rushed to save her. Never before had he felt so positively about a stranger. Kai was usually cautious of new people and never bothered to try and get close to them.

He was now intrigued by Cassie and wanted to know her better.  
  
Was it because they both had broken childhoods? Or was it because she was staggeringly beautiful? Or was it that she was a powerful blader? He didn't really know.  
All he did know, was that of all the people he had ever known, she was different.

* * *

Hmmmm so theres chapter 9 for you. Its kinda long aint it? Oh well! The next chapter will be up soon.  
Please read and review  
  
Wreckless Spirit


	10. Silver Thread

Firstly thanks to all of you who have reviewed the last two chapters. You guys are great! Big hugz to all!  
Ok this chapter is very, very short compared to the others. However it kinda explains about how protective her mother is, which adds humour - I think.  
Anyway hope you like it.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OCs

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**Chapter 10: Silver Thread  
**  
Cassie stood staring out of her window, which looked out onto the nearby park. The sun was shining brightly. Little children were playing on the playground, couples were taking afternoon strolls and dogs barked as they enjoyed their freedom to run across the many grass banks.  
  
A small sigh escaped the girl as she turned back to sit on her bed.  
  
Her mother had returned from Korea a few days earlier, and had joined Cassie to stay at the Auntie's house. Upon her arrival she had beeen shocked to discover her daughter already injured after a few days stay in Japan. Thankfully, Cassie had managed to convince her mother that she'd twisted her ankle whilst playing a sports game, and had fallen into a thorn bush, thus cutting her arm. Never-the-less her mother had confined Cassie to her room until she had made a 'full recovery'.  
  
Her ankle was much better now, but Cassie's arm was still a little sore. However that might have been because she'd only had the stitches out a few hours ago.  
  
She sighed again.  
  
Today would be the fith day Cassie would be bored stiff in her room. Her isolation meant she had no one to talk to. The Bladebreakers came to visit her on the first day she had been banished to her room. However her mother had turned them away saying her daughter was too weak to see anyone. This was far from the truth and Cassie had got very angry when she learnt of the potential visit.  
  
"You never want me to have a life!" This is what she had screamed at the over protective mum.  
  
Since then her mother had agreed for Hilary to visit Cassie from time to time; seening as she was an old friend. From these visits the two girls had arranged for the rest of the gang to see Cassie via the park and the 'sick' girl's window. This idea had proved very successful and Cassie enjoyed the many conversations, if a little shouted, from her window to the Bladebreakers in the park. She especially like it when a certain team captain was there too - his mystery still intrigued her.  
  
However today no one had come to see her, mainly because they were busy training for an upcoming tournament. Cassie was prepared to go completely out of her mind with boredom today.  
  
She lay down on her bed with the injured arm behind her head, and looked up at her cream ceiling. Her room was small yet the pale yellow walls made it feel much bigger.

The lilac eyed girl sighed once again.  
  
Seeing something in the corner of her eye, she turned to face the oak dresser on her left. A whitey-grey piece of cloth lay on the top of it. Getting up to investigate, Cassie realised that piece of cloth was Kai's scarf, given to her as a bandage when she was hurt.  
  
It had been washed since then and was clean of any blood.  
  
She rubbed the soft material between her thumb and forefinger and brought it to her face. It still smelt like Kai. She breathed in the sweet odour before placing it back on the counter.  
  
_'I shall have to give it back to him soon,'_ thought the girl.  
  
"Although, I should like to keep it." she added aloud.  
  
A thought crossed her mind causing her to smile.  
  
Silently the girl crept across the landing into her mother's room. Once inside, she pulled out an old sewing box from under the bed. Carefully she picked out a small needle and some silver thread.  
  
"Eureka!" she said silently and returned to her bedroom. The grin on her face getting bigger by the second.

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Told you it was short. I know its a little dull compared to the other chapters, sorry about that.  
It will get better once the itty bitty details have been explained.  
Please review, even though there's not much to write about on this chapter.  
  
Wreckless Spirit


	11. From Me to You

Hey dudes and dudess'. Its time for an update.  
This chapter should be better than the last, at least I hope it is!  
Hope you enjoy it.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, only my OC's

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**Chapter 11: From Me to You  
**  
A week had now passed since Cassie had first been confined to her room.  
  
The Beybladers were busy training in the dojo when there was knock at the door, Max went to open it. He was greeted by a gleaming smile from the dark haired girl.  
  
"Hello," she said happily. "You miss me?"  
  
"You betcha!" replied the blonde boy equally happy to see her. "Come in... Hey guys, look who's here."  
  
Everyone stopped when Max entered with their new friend. Kai felt butterflies in his stomach when he saw the beautiful Cassie walk in. His feelings for her had grown stronger since their chats through her window.  
  
The girl smiled and greeted each one of the gang. When she came to Kai she stopped and grinned.  
  
"I have something for you," she said cheerily.  
  
"You do?" replied the boy blinking in suprise.  
  
Cassie nodded and from her bag she pulled out a present wrapped in pale blue wrapping paper.  
  
"From me to you." she said handing over the object.  
  
Slowly Kai unpealed the paper to reveal his old scarf, but there was something different about it. As he picked it up, he noticed something shine on one of the ends. After closer inspection, he could see that on one of the scarf's ends there was some dainty silver stitching that read:  
  
_To Kai,  
My Hero forever  
__Love Cassie xxx  
_  
"I-I hope you like it," stuttered the girl. "I chose silver so it wouldn't be too noticable, and I've done it so it only shows up on one side... so you can easily hide it if you don't like it..."  
  
"I love it."  
  
"Y-You do?"  
  
"Yes," answered Kai as he wrapped the scarf arround his neck. "Thank you. I shall wear it with pride"  
  
They both smiled, causing each other's hearts to flutter.  
  
For the rest of the day Cassie sat down with Kenny and Hilary, and watched the boys train. Now that Cassie had fully recovered, Tyson decided to challenge the new girl to a battle; something which he later regretted as she easily beat him.... 5 times! This in turn, led to a mini tournament, where Cassie emerged victorious after beating all four of the Bladebreakers, without even breaking into a sweat.  
  
"C'mon guys! I thought you were supposed to be the world champs!" she teased  
  
"Patiere's much stronger than we anticipated," admitted Rei.  
  
"Well I was just letting you win." said Tyson stubbornly, causing everyone else to sweatdrop anime style.

* * *

Night came around fast and soon it was time for the gang to go their separate ways.  
  
"Thanks again for the scarf," said Kai as he and Cassie left the dojo.  
  
"No problem, it was the least I could do. I'm just glad you like it."  
  
Stars shone brightly in the clear sky tonight, as they walked along the dojo path. Cassie eyes twinkled in the moonlight.  
  
_'She looks beautiful,'_ thought Kai  
  
"Cassie..."  
  
"Yes Kai?" she stopped and faced him.  
  
"Um..."  
  
_'Go on tell her!'_ said a voice inside his head.  
  
"Um... I was wondering if..."  
  
"Yes?" hope grew inside the girl, maybe Kai did like her afterall.  
  
"Um, I was wondering if- if you'd like to join the Bladebreakers,"  
  
_'Chicken!'_ whispered the voice cruely  
  
"Oh." said the girl, she sounded slightly dissapointed.  
  
"I mean, you've proved yourself to be a worthy blader; and I wondered if you'd like to join the team."  
  
He sounded confident even though the voice continually screamed  
  
_'Chicken!_ _Chicken!'  
_  
"Kai, I'd be honoured to join," replied the girl honestly.  
  
"Great! Well... see you at practice, 8 o'clock then."  
  
"Yep, I'll be there. See ya." The girl turned and began to leave.  
  
Kai frowned at himself. That wasn't what he really wanted to ask her.  
  
_'Who'd have imagined the great Kai Hiwatari could be such a chicken,'_ sneered the voice.  
  
In the end the voice got the better of Kai.  
  
"Cassie!" he called and ran to catch up with her.  
  
"Yes Kai? Is something wrong?"  
  
"There was something else I wanted to ask you," continued the boy sightly out of breathe, but he couldn't turn back now.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Yeah. Listen I really like you, and I mean _really_ like you... So I was wondering if you'd like to go out with me?"  
  
He said this speech quite fast although the second part was said with uncertainty.  
  
Silence followed.  
  
Kai prepared himself for rejection, but he needn't have worried.  
  
"I'd love to Kai." replied the girl shyly.  
  
"Y-You would!?"  
  
"Uh-huh. You see I've always liked you; ask Hil, she'd tell you."  
  
They both grinned. Then Kai took Cassie's hand and kissed her gently on the lips. As they turned to walk home hand in hand, he whispered.  
  
"From me to you."

* * *

Well **Ms.SoUrPuSs** you guessed kinda right didn't you, clever girl!  
Chapter 12 will be up soon because I start back at school in a few days (big groan), I probably wont be able to update as often as I'd like to after that. But I'm sure I'll find time to :-)  
Until next time, please review- I'd be soooooooo grateful.  
  
-Wreckless Spirit -


	12. Some Things Never Change

Hello all. Thanks for all of the reviews.  
  
**Ms.SoUrPuSs:** Well if I'm honest I don't really know who the voice was. I thought it could just have been Kai's concious, but hey I suppose it could have been Dranzer. In fact lets say it was Dranzer cause that sounds better, you think? I don't spose it matters though, I'm not planning on having the voice return later on but then again I might change my mind when I come to write the future chapters.  
  
**Luna RavenCroft:** Wow you actually thought of my story when you saw the panther in the book? COOL!!!! I'm chuffed to bits! Hey thanks for letting me know what Black and Panther means, I found it interesting. I research stuff for my story too, like the names of my OC's further on in the story, they all mean something, but you'll find out about them later on. Its funny cause while I was looking at OC names I looked up the names of some of the characters of Beyblade and here's what it came up with:  
  
**Kai** means Ocean and its a Hawaiian name - funny cause its the oposite of fire lol  
**Tyson** means Explosive and its French - well his temper is kinda fiesty  
**Ray **means Wise Protector its French/ English - sounds like Rei I think  
**Max** means Greatest and its Latin - well it is Maxie  
**Tala** means Wolf and its Native American - only thing is its a girls name apparently bt it explains why Wolborg is wolf like.  
  
Well there's some useless information for you all lol. Thanks to **Diamond Core** and **Devi Of The Wolves** for reviewing too.  
Anyways on with the story. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 12: Some Things Never Change  
**  
The gang were sat down in a ring, after a hard mornings training. Preparation for the county tournament in a weeks time was their main priority. They trained as often as they could. Conversation flowed freely, though it was mainly about beyblades.

Kai sat to the side of Cassie, with his arms locked tightly around her waist. This was a common sight the rest of the gang had got used to since the couple had announced they were going out. However their first reactions to the news had been of shock and disbelief.  
  
_- Flashback -_  
  
Rei, Max and Tyson stood preparing their blades for training. Hilary was standing by the dojo window, impatiently tapping her foot. Kenny also looked anxious and glanced ocasionally at his watch whilst typing on Dizzi.  
  
"8 o'clock we said!" snapped Hilary. "That usually means Kai turns up at 7.30."  
  
"Hilary, its only 7.59," pointed out Max.  
  
"That's exactly my point though, he's late! I mean _even_ Tyson's here before him!"  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked the offended Tyson  
  
"_Your_ lazy, and usually the last to be here," answered the girl airily.  
  
The navy haired boy was about to reply when he saw something so shocking, he was left speechless. Noticing the frozen boy, the others turned to where Tyson was looking.  
They all gasped in shock.  
  
Kai had just walked in... holding hands... with Cassie!  
  
"No way!" exclaimed the world champ blinking in disbelief. "I must be dreaming!"  
  
_- End Flashback -  
_  
Cassie smiled to herself at the memory. It had taken ages to persuade Tyson that the pairing wasn't a prank to fool him. Even now he doubted the relationship, even though Cassie and Kai had been together for a week now.  
  
Arguing voices filled Cassie's ears causing her to snap out of her trance.  
  
"Yes you are."  
  
"No I'm not!"  
  
"Yes _you _are!"  
  
"No _I'm_ not!"  
  
Once again Tyson and Hilary were 'debating' about something pointless. Cassie looked her boyfriend for the source of the arguement.  
  
"Hilary thinks Tyson is the biggest pig she's ever known," explained Kai with a slight smirk.  
  
"Yes You Are!"  
  
"No I'm Not!"  
  
"You know you two would make a great couple," smirked Cassie - that shut them up.  
  
However it wasn't long before they started again, this time the subject was whether Hilary was the bossiest person in the world.  
  
"Tyson you don't even know every one in the world!" screamed Hilary  
  
"Maybe so, but that doesn't mean your not the bossiest person in the world."  
  
"I am not!"  
  
"Are too!"  
  
"Am Not!"  
  
"ARE TOO!"  
  
Their friends sweatdroped anime style.  
  
"Nice to see some things never change," said a cheery voice.  
  
The Beybladers turned to see an old friend standing in the doorway.  
  
"Zeo!" cried Tyson  
  
The teal haired boy smiled as Dragoon's master came to greet him.  
  
"Man Zeo we haven't seen you for ages, where'd you been?"  
  
"I decided to take a break after the championships to er... get to grips with what I am."  
  
"You mean _who_ you are," interupted Rei  
  
"Yeah Zeo, Rei's right, to us you'll always be human."  
  
"Thanks guys that means alot to me," smiled Zeo.  
  
The boy gazed around the room.  
  
**- Zeo's POV -  
**  
Everything's just like I remember. Tyson and Hilary are still at eachothers throats 24/7, Max is still hyper and super smiley, Rei's still as kind as ever, Kenny still carries Dizzi around everywhere he goes and Kai still insists on sitting away from the group... Hey who's that?  
  
**- Normal POV -  
**  
Zeo's eyes fell upon an unfamiliar face. He was greeted by a pair of friendly, yet curious lilac eyes.  
  
"Hi, I don't believe we've met. I'm Zeo," said the boy as he walked up to the girl. He out-stretched his hand.  
  
"Cassie, I'm Hilary's friend," she said as she shook Zeo's hand.  
  
"And Kai's girlfriend," added Max with a grin.  
  
"And the newest member of the Bladebreakers," concluded Kenny.  
  
"Whoa! Information overload!" joked Zeo as he pulled a confused face. "A lot's happened since I've been away hasn't it?"  
  
"It sure has, but hey we'll fill you in buddy."  
  
Once Zeo had been informed of the previous weeks happenings, the group began to talk about their usual topic of conversation - beyblading.  
  
"So Zeo you gonna enter the tournament next week?"  
  
"I really want to Max but I was looking at the requirements for it, and you need a partner to enter."  
  
"You do?!" exclaimed Tyson  
  
"Yeah Ty. It's a tag team tournament."  
  
"Hey Chief, how come you didin't tell us that we needed to be in pairs?"  
  
"I did Tyson, but _you_ obviously weren't listening."  
  
"He did tell us Ty," insisted Max.  
  
"Oh sorry Chief... So what are our pairings again?"  
  
"We haven't sorted them out dumbo! Me and Kenny were gonna talk to you guys first."  
  
"Hey! Who you calling dumbo Hilary?"  
  
"You Tyson!"  
  
"Now, now lovebirds, don't start arguing again," joked Cassie.  
  
Tyson and Hilary glared at their friend but held their tongues.  
  
"_Anyway_... I think its time to discuss the partners for the team."  
  
"Rei's right. As captain I feel it is my responsibility to decide on the tag teams. I've thought about it long and hard, so here's what I suggest. Rei will go with Max, I will go with Cassie, and Tyson can go with Zeo."  
  
"You mean, you want me to be part of the team Kai?"  
  
"Your a strong blader Zeo, you proved that in the last tournament... So I'm inviting you to be on our side this time. Do you accept?"  
  
"Yeah! I mean if its ok with the rest of the team..."  
  
"Of course it is! Hey you and me are gonna be unstopable at the tournament."  
  
"You shouldn't be so cocky Tyson." scolded Cassie. "Don't forget you'll have to beat us four first. And in the last mini competition we had, who beat you? - 5 times!"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! So you beat me before Cass, so what? I've improved since then."  
  
"But so has everyone else," pointed out Kenny. "Lets just wait and see what happens shall we?"

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Well there's that chapter, Zeo's back in town! Hope you like Zeo, if you don't then let me know and he'll disappear in a few chapters time. Ah the power of writing lol.  
Um I've already written chapter 13 (unlucky for some) so it should be up soonish. I'll probably wait for a few reviews before I update it though.  
Please review - the sooner you do the sooner I update.  
  
- Wreckless Spirit -


	13. Past Grievances

Heya folks, thanks to **Ms.SoUrPuSs**, **LunaRavenCroft**, **Diamond Core** and **Tsunami-chaos** for reviewing the last chapter. Well you guys seem to like Zeo so I'll keep him in the story for the time being.  
This chapter is gonna be very very short compared to the last one, but I can't really add anything onto it, because its kind of an insight to Kai's mind. Does that make sense?  
Well you'll see what I mean when you read it. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 13: Past Grievances  
**  
**- Kai's POV -  
**  
I stood watching Dranzer spin in the dojo garden. I often did this at night, the darkness helps me concentrate.  
  
Tomorrow the tournament would begin. This time it would be my turn to emerge victorious, along with Cassie of course. We have a good chance at winning, afterall we've been training hard, and both her and I have become stronger bladers.  
  
I support the rest of my team of course, but in a tag-team tournament there can only be one pair that wins. I'm sure with the help of Cassie, we could beat any other competators.  
  
"This time Tyson, _I will_ be champion," I muttered.  
  
"Oh really? And what about me?" asked a familiar voice, I knew who it was instantaneously.  
  
After recalling Dranzer to my hand, I turned around to face my beautiful girlfriend.  
  
"I hope you haven't forgot that I'd be champion too," she smirked.  
  
"Of course not," I reassured her as I wrapped my arms around her waist.  
  
We stayed in an embrace like that for a while, enjoying each others company in silence. Its funny how some silences can be awkward, but others can be almost soothing, I suppose it depends on who you share it with.  
  
"What did you mean by _'This time Tyson, I will be champion'_?"  
  
"Oh, its nothing."  
  
"_Really_....Your hiding something from me Kai, I can tell. Why did you say it?"  
  
I sighed, it was no use denying it, Cassie could read me like a book - she knew I'd said it for a reason.  
  
"Before Tyson was _'discovered'_ as a top notch beyblader, I was the reigning champion. Now its him who remains undefeated. However this year that will change. Ever since he beat me in his first ever tournament in Japan; I have secretly promised myself that one day, I will defeat him... I need to prove to myself that I can be champion if I put my mind to it. He has tasted victory for long enough. Now it is my..._our_ turn to show the world just how strong we are."  
  
I knew my words sounded cold and cruel, how could anybody feel so negative to their own team member?  
  
"But Tyson's your team mate, your friend... I can understand you want to win, but you sound as if you're willing to do anything to beat him, even put your friendship with him on the line!"  
  
"I just have a score to settle with him, that's all."  
  
"Kai winning isn't everything! Your friendship with Tyson is far more important..."  
  
"You don't understand!"  
  
She gasped at my sudden outburst.  
  
"Sorry. I know what I have to do Cassie, so please just trust me ok?"  
  
"Kai.... _Ok_, I won't say anymore about this, but please... don't risk your friendship for the sake of some trophy."  
  
She kissed me on the cheek.  
  
"We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. You should try and get some sleep Kai."  
  
Then she returned inside the dojo, leaving me alone once again. I relaunched Dranzer one last time, and let my blade spin whilst I thought about the tournament.  
An image of Cassie and I holding the trophy flashed into my mind.  
  
I could practically taste the victory that was coming our way.  
  
This time _no one_ would steal it away from me... not even Tyson.

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So you see what I mean? I don't think I could add anymore to this chapter. But to make up for this short one, chapter 14 will be extra long.  
Untill next time (I'll try an update when I can)  
  
- Wreckless Spirit -


	14. Let The Games Begin

Heya thanks to all of you who reviewed the last chapter.  
  
**Ms.SoUrPuSs:** Yeah I'm sorry the last chapter was so short, but as promised this chapter is extra long. Hope you like the battle in the story (please bear in mind this isn't my strongest point in writting) but hopefully they will be ok.  
  
**LunaRavenCroft:** Awww that's so sweet, you think I have a gift! Well at last I've found something I'm good at lol.  
  
**Diamond Core:** Well you'll just have to wait and see if Kai can beat Tyson, I can't say yet cause I dunno myself who's gonna win. I haven't written that bit of the story yet!  
  
**I-AM-A-KOUGA-FAN:** Hey glad you like the story, I like your analagies (sp?) of the characters. Yes Tyson is hungary hehe.  
  
**sticklady:** Cool you like Zeo too, great stuff. Well he's not gonna have a huge part in the story, at least I don't think he will. But hey I might change my mind later on who knows!  
  
Now that thats done with, on with the story! Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade only my OC's and their bitbeasts.

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**Chapter 14: Let The Games Begin  
**  
All of the extra training the Chief and Hilary had made the Bladebreakers do came in handy. All three of the Bladebreaker pairs had made their way to the semi-finals. So far they had been lucky that they had not had to battle eachother, but now it was inevitable that they should face one of their friends.  
  
The semi-final matches were like this:  
  
Tyson and Zeo against Max and Rei  
  
and  
  
Kai and Cassie against two newcomers, a brother and sister, called Dea and Deo.  
  
Kai's and Cassie's match was first. It was a best of three. The pair had previously decided that Cassie would go up against Dea, and Kai against Deo.As Cassie stepped forward to the dish she eyed her opponant. Dea was a smallish girl with purple hair wrapped in a bun, her eyes were a deep shade of sapphire. Both her and her brother were from Greece, so they wore a traditional Greek robe with a loral leaf crown on their head. (I've been watching the Olympics in case you haven't guessed).  
  
The Greek girl looked harmless, but as everyone had seen from the previous rounds, she was a strong blader.  
  
"I'm lookin forward to our battle," said Dea. "It'll be good to beat someone worthy of my time."  
  
"Oh, I'm honoured you think I'm a worthy opponant, but I'm afraid you won't be beating me today," replied Cassie with a grin.  
  
"3...2...1...Let It Rip!"  
  
Cassie's purple blade and Dea's golden blade clashed sending sparks everywhere.  
  
"DYAMI attack!"  
  
The gold blade began to glow as a beautiful eagle bitbeast emerged from Dea's blade.  
  
"Patiere don't let her over power you!"  
  
An almighty roar filled the stadium as Patiere appeared out of the purple blade. The two Bitbeast wrestled with one another for quite some time. Dea seemed to be putting all of her effort into her blade, however Cassie seemed perfectly normal - she just stood there watching the two blades battle.  
  
Again and again Dyami attacked Patiere, but to no avail. Patiere would not budge, and continued to stay in a defensive postion.  
  
"Why won't you attack me?!" screamed Dea  
  
"I'm giving you a chance to perform in front of the crowds for the final time, its no use having a battle that only last a few seconds. We wouldn't want to dissapoint the audience would we? They enjoy a good battle."  
  
"Grrrrrr, I think your just too chicken to fight!"  
  
"Really?.... I don't mean to gloat Dea, but I could have knocked you out as soon as we started. I was trying to be kind to you seen as this was your first ever major tournament."  
  
"Kind doesn't come into this Cassie! We're here to battle, so why don't you show me what your made of, or are you too scared too?"  
  
"Very well... If that's what you wish me to do, then so be it. PATIERE Midnight Pounce!"  
  
The black panther lept onto the eagle and pushed it to the ground; this mimicked how Cassie's blade had landed on Dea's blade, pinning it to the floor.  
  
"Noooooooo!" screamed Dea  
  
"I did try to warn you, but its too late now. Patiere finish this!"  
  
With one final attack, Dea's blade was knocked out of the ring.  
  
"And the winner of this round is Cassie of the Bladebreakers!"  
  
"You put up a good fight Dea," said Cassie as she went to shake Dea's hand "It was a pleasure to battle with you."  
  
"Same here, but you deserved to win... Maybe next year I'll beat you."  
  
The two girls giggled, and then returned to their team mates.  
  
"What exactly were you playing at Cassie?"  
  
"What do you mean Kai?"  
  
"You could have beaten her straight away, but instead you just let her attack you."  
  
"Kai this was her first tournament, I thought I'd go easy on her. Its not as if she was weakening Patiere or anything..."  
  
"That is not the point! Going easy on someone, for whatever reason, won't get us to the finals! Just remember we're here to win, not to encourage _pathetic_ amateurs."  
  
"Kai!"  
  
"If you excuse me I have a battle to win."  
  
Cassie stood open mouthed as her boyfriend walked up to the stadium. She had never known Kai to be so rude. Something was obviously wrong with Kai, she just knew it.  
  
Deo was already at the stadium as Kai approached it. He had similar features to his sister, sapphire eyes but his hair was short and a darker shade of purple.  
  
"I heard what you called my sister," growled Deo. "So let me reassure you that I'll will not be so easy to beat."  
  
"Reassurance means nothing. You'll still be beaten in the end."  
  
"3...2...1... Let It Rip!"  
  
The two blades collided with great force, both boys were eager to win and so put all of their energy into the battle. Neither blade seemed to have an advantage on the other.  
  
"Dranzer Flame Sombre!"  
  
The beautiful pheonix came out of the blue blade and made its assault on Deo's silver blade.  
  
"I don't think bringing out you're precious phoenix is gonna help you,"  
  
Sure enough Dranzer had no effect when it attacked Deo's blade.  
  
"_What_!?"  
  
"You see Kai, me and my sister have the power of the Gods on our side. Our names indicate so. Dea means Goddess and Deo means Godlike. My bitbeast also has this power.  
Would you like to see?"  
  
Kai nodded and Deo summoned out his bitbeast. It was a beautiful winged horse that glowed a silver sheen.  
  
"This is Ciel, meaning heavenly or from heaven. He has the power of the Gods aswell. You do realise that makes us undefeatable?"  
  
"Black Dranzer was supposedly undeafeatable, but it _was_ beaten eventually. I don't think anyone is invinsible, not even you or your bitbeast."  
  
"Then you're a fool! **CIEL ATTACK**!"  
  
"**DRANZER**!"  
  
The two blades smashed into one another with such force, that a huge cloud of dust engulfed the beydish. Both Kai and Deo had to shield themselves from the blowing debris. As the cloud subsided the two bladers looked to see which blade, if either, was still spinning. Deo's face fell when he saw his silver blade in pieces on the floor; Dranzer, however, was still going strong. The crowds went wild!  
  
Kai called back his blade and turned to the Greek.  
  
"As I said before... _nothing_ is invinsible."  
  
With that he walked away.  
  
"Well folks after thoses two intense battles, Kai and Cassie go onto the final match!" announced Jazz-man. "Stay where you are, 'cause the next semi-final is on its way shortly!"

* * *

_- In Kai and Cassie's locker room -  
_  
"Wow Kai that was amazing! Dranzer didn't even seem to loose any spin!"  
  
"You haven't seen anything yet Cassie, just wait until the finals."  
  
"I can't believe we're gonna be in the final match! I wonder who we'll be up against? Either way we're gonna be battling our friends,"  
  
"Hmm, come on their matches will be starting soon, we best go watch the others."

* * *

The secomd semi-final matches were just as intense. First up was Tyson against Max, the two best friends's battle was amazing. It looked as if either could win but in the end Tyson's Dragoon proved to much for Draciel. Next up was Rei and Zeo. Their battle was full of action because both were attack specialists. However Driger's quick speed gave it a slight edge that helped it beat Cerberus. Rei's victory meant the two teams were now drawing.  
  
It was up to Rei and Tyson to decide who would go onto the final matches against Kai and Cassie.  
  
"3... 2... 1...Let It Rip!"  
  
"Go Driger!"  
  
"Dragoon get him!"  
  
The battle took no longer than a few minutes.  
  
"Dragoon - Hyper Victory Tornado!"  
  
"No! Driger!"  
  
Rei had to duck as his blade flew out of the ring and narrowly missed his head.  
  
"And Tyson is the winner!" declared Jazz-man. "So folks that means that both he and Zeo will be up against Kai and Cassie in the final. The judges have decided that the matches will be as follows: Cassie against Tyson, and Kai against Zeo! I guarantee you will not want to miss the final, its gonna be totally awesome!"  
  
In a nearby stand Kai stood motionless after hearing tomorrows line up of matches. His eyes narrowed as he saw Tyson wave at the crowds like he was some kind of super star, it was this arrogance that had always irritated Kai. Without saying a word he turned swiftly to leave. His trademark scarf fluttered as he walked with determination back to his locker room.  
  
Cassie had observed the silent movement of her boyfriend, and it troubled her.  
  
_'Uh-oh,'_ she thought. _'This isn't gonna be good'_

_

* * *

_  
Hey so was that long enough for all of ya? I hope it was.  
Please review, it motivates me to write more!  
I have a question to ask you all, see I've noticed that Kai's eyes are a different colour in each series. So I'll give you guys the power to decide on Kai's eye colour in this story. Do you want Kai to have:  
a) **Crimson** - Series 1  
b) **Grey** - V-force  
c) **Lilac** - G-rev  
  
So let me know what you think. I'll update soon.  
  
- Wreckless Spirit -


	15. Decisions

Heya thanks for all the reviews and votes. Speaking of which I don't need the eye colour till the next chapter, so if you haven't voted (not that you have to of course) you can still make your opinions heard.  
  
**ravenwingedarchangel:** Yeah it is a bit annoying how they keep changing the eye colours but hey that progress for ya lol.  
  
**Ms.SoUrPuSs:** Um I fink someone has been at the sugar again lol, maybe you should cut down on it. And just for the record Crimson is a kinda red-brown colour.  
  
**LunaRavenCroft:** Glad you like my story, I really like yours too!  
  
**Diamond Core:** I don't plan to stop writting this fic. I already know how its gonna end, but there's still a long way to go till that so plenty more chapters should be on the way!  
  
Thanks to everyone else who reviewed the last chapter, now on with the story. And er... this chapter's kinda short too - sorry!  
Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

****

****

**Chapter 15: Decisions  
**  
A cool afternoon breeze sent Cassie's long, dark hair blowing gently behind her. She stood, eyes closed, in front of a large lake. The sun was beginning to set, and a red and orange glow reflected off the water, illuminating Cassie's face.  
  
Sighing softly, she opened her lilac eyes.  
  
_'What am I going to do?'_ she thought.  
  
"Cassie there you are! I've been looking all over for you.... Are you ok?"  
  
"I'm fine Hilary, I was just thinking about the tournament tomorrow."  
  
All the time she talked, Cassie focused on the lake in front of her.  
  
"Hilary can I ask you something?"  
  
"Of course you can. What is it?"  
  
"Its about the the battle... If its a best of three match, and by the second round we're at a tie, will the winners from each team play each other in round three?"  
  
"Um...I'm not quite sure what you mean Cassie,"  
  
"Well if tomorrow Tyson beat me and Kai beat Zeo, would it be Kai and Tyson that battle in the third round?"  
  
"I think according to BBA rules, that's what would happen. But why'd you ask?"  
  
Cassie closed her eyes and sighed.  
  
"Ever since its been anounced that I will be the one battling Tyson tomorrow, Kai he's.... he's been acting strange, and I think I know why. He was desperate to beat Tyson this year in the final to er.... 'settle a score' as he said. But now it seems he won't get the oportunity to battle him. So I was thinking if I lost to Tyson, and Kai beat Zeo, then Kai would get to battle Ty afterall...."  
  
"Are you saying that you'd lose on purpose?... Cassie that's madness! Your match is first! If Kai lost too then Tyson and Zeo would win the tournament."  
  
"I know that but, if we both win then Kai wouldn't have the opportunity to battle Tyson, and he really wants to. Oh Hilary I dont know what to do!"  
  
"You know it would be alot easier if your battle.... wait that's it! Cassie I think I know what can help, I know what you can do!"  
  
---------------------------------------  
  
_**(Later on that night)  
**_  
"Well Mr. Dickenson, is that allowed?" asked Cassie  
  
"Yes, yes, I can arrange for that to happen - providing the other team doesn't mind."  
  
"They don't, I checked with them first. Tyson actually thought it was a good idea, afterall his blade needs a bit of repair work and this will give Kenny longer to work on it." interupted Hilary.  
  
"Well I'll still have to check, but I think your request will happen girls."  
  
"Thank you so much sir, I really appreciate."  
  
"No problem Cassie, its my job to make sure you bladers are happy with your battles. Good Luck with tomorrow."  
  
"Thanks Mr.D"  
  
_'I'm gonna need it'_

__

_

* * *

_

Ok well this chapter was pretty bad and way too short for my liking, I beg for forgiveness! I was just kinda stuck on this particular chapter, but have no fear the next one should be better and longer - I hope!  
Don't forget you can vote on Kai's eye colour still. Do you want him to have:  
a) Crimson  
b) Grey  
c) Lilac  
  
Please review, it makes me happy :-)  
  
- Wreckless Spirit - 


	16. Win, Lose and Draw

Hello, sorry it took so long for an update, but this chapter took rather a long time to write - but you'll be glad to know its very long as promised.  
Thanks for all the reviews  
  
**I-AM-A-KOUGA-FAN**: Aww don't cry, I'm sure your stories are really really good. This is only my first fic so I'm still learning too, but I'm flattered you think my story is good. You have a Rei plushie - groovy!  
  
**Ilovecake2**: cool you've reviewed two chapters in a row, hope u like this next chapter too.  
  
**Ms.SoUrPuSs**: Lol I don't mean to sound smart or anything, but I think that was the longest review you've ever given me. But hey I get your point, short chapter,  
short review. So I'm expecting a long review from you this time (only jokin, u write wat u want to).  
  
Also thanks to **Diamond Core, LunaRavenCroft and Devi Of The Wolves** for reviewing too. Now onto the story, well I counted the votes for the eyes colour and decided on.... oh well I'm not gonna tell you. You'll have to read and find out for your selves!  
Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, only my OC's and their bitbeasts are mine.

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****

**Chapter 16: Win, Lose and Draw  
**  
"Ladies and gentlemen! Today's the day we've all been waiting for. Its the last day of the tournament, so that can mean only one thing, the final match is on its way!"  
  
In their dressing room Kai and Cassie could hear the crowds go wild as Jazz-man spoke. Both remained silent whilst preparing their blades.  
  
"There will be a slight change to the schedule of today's matches, first up will be Kai against Zeo, instead of Tyson and Cassie."  
  
Kai's eyes widened and he looked to Cassie as if to say, _'Why'd they change the order of the matches?'  
_  
"Hilary said Tyson needed to repair Dragoon, so he requested a match change around to give Kenny more time to fix it."  
  
Cassie held her breath, hoping Kai had bought her lie, lucky for her he did. Kai nodded simply before turning back to Dranzer.  
  
"Attention, will the tournament finalists make your way to the centre stadium as the match is due to start soon. Thank you."  
  
"That's our cue, c'mon."  
  
"Kai...."  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"... Good luck."  
  
The boy smiled.  
  
"You too Cass, now lets go win us a tournament."

* * *

"3... 2 ... 1... Let It Rip!"  
  
"Go Cerberus!"  
  
"Fly Dranzer!"  
  
"This is gonna be one heck of a match,"  
  
"It sure is Max, I hope Zeo can handle it."  
  
"I know what you mean Chief. Kai's pretty determined to win - I wouldn't like to be in his shoes right now," added Rei  
  
By now Dranzer was slamming into Cerberus repeatedly.  
  
"Dranzer Flame Saber!"  
  
"Arghhh! Kai's hammering Zeo!"  
  
"Tyson calm down..."  
  
"How can I calm down, Hilary? My team mate is getting slaughtered! C'mon Zeo you can do it, just focus!"  
  
Zeo grit his teeth.  
  
**- Zeo's POV -  
**  
_Tyson's right. I've got to concentrate if I want to win this match.... Now what are Dranzer's weaknesses?... He's a strong attacker but his defence is not so good if I attack him from behind. Well its worth a shot - not gonna last long just letting him attack me like this.  
_  
**- Normal POV -  
**  
"Cerberus, leap-frog over him!"  
  
The blade did exactly as Zeo had requested. A look of surprise came onto Kai's face for a split second, but it soon faded.  
  
"Impressive," smirked Kai. "However that will not be enough to beat me."  
  
"Oh yeah? Well let's just see shall we? TURBO FLAMING CERBERUS!"  
  
To everyone's surprise Cerberus began to spin faster, so fast that it was starting to over power Dranzer!  
  
"Arghh!" yelled Kai, now he was really mad.  
  
'How can Zeo do that?!' thought Kai 'I was so strong... Wait, I AM strong, and I won't be beaten. I WONT BE BEATEN!'  
  
Just then something amazing happened. Kai's blade became surrounded in a fiery glow. Kai himself began to glow, his crimson eyes burning with fire.  
  
"DRANZER! Reverse Flame Gigus!"  
  
A blinding white light filled the stadium, causing everyone to shield their eyes. As the light subsided the crowds could see that Zeo had been defeated, Cerberus lay broken in 3 pieces much to the shock of its owner. A single tear fell down Zeo's cheek as he picked up his shattered blade. Kai did feel slightly guilty when he saw this, but all is fair in war as they say.  
  
However this was not acceptable in Tyson's opinion. A true blader shouldn't need to trash his opponents blade to win. Now Tyson was even more determined to win,  
and avenge his fallen team mate.  
  
Cassie could sense Tyson's anger as she stood opposite him at the stadium, preparing for their battle. She was still faced with her own dilemma, if she won this next match then her and Kai would be the tournament champions, but that would mean Kai wouldn't have the chance to battle Tyson. However if she lost in this round then the final match would be between Kai and Tyson. This was why Cassie had requested the matches be swapped around, at least now she knew the two teams would be at a draw if she lost.  
  
"3... 2... 1... Let It Rip!"  
  
Both bladers launched their blades with ultimate force, they immediately began slamming into each other. Tyson put all of his effort into the battle.  
  
"Go Dragoon!"  
  
The blade collided with Patiere, but did not affect the purple blade in the slightest way.  
  
_"Wha?!"_  
  
Cassie smiled, Tyson was still as stubborn as ever, always attacking without thinking through the consequences. She could tell Dragoon had increased in power since their last match, but he was still no competition for Patiere.  
  
"Dragoon attack again!"  
  
Still it had no affect on Cassie's blade.  
  
"You know Tyson, you really shouldn't attack when your emotions are so high,"  
  
"I'll attack when I want to Cassie. I'm here to beat you, and to make up for what Kai did to Zeo,"  
  
"Fair enough, but your emotions make you weak. You won't be able to beat me like this."  
  
"Arghh! What do you know? Dragoon get her!"  
  
The dragon bitbeast emerged from the blade, this time when it attacked the purple blade, Patiere wobbled somewhat.  
  
"See your not so strong after all,"  
  
"Tyson you attacked my blade with your bitbeast summoned out, you should have had enough power behind you to knock out my blade, not just make it sway in you wake. Now try the same thing when I've summoned out my bitbeast. Patiere!"  
  
The beautiful Black Panther growled loudly as she came out of her blade.  
  
"Now Dragoon attack her again!"  
  
Much to Tyson's horror his attack back fired on him. As Dragoon hit Patiere, it was Dragoon that was sent flying across the beydish, not Patiere. It was almost as if the purple blade was a wall, and the blue blade was a mere tennis ball thrown against the wall to rebound straight off again.  
  
"No way!" exclaimed Tyson, "How'd you do that?"  
  
"I didn't do anything, it's your attack that's not as strong as usual. You're gonna have to focus more Tyson, if you want to beat me."  
  
**- Kai POV -  
**  
What is Cassie doing? She shouldn't be giving Tyson advice on how to beat her. Why doesn't she finish him off now? She has the ability to, so why doesn't she?  
Wait... I know that look in her eye; she's up to something, but what? She shouldn't taunt Tyson, it only gets him riled up, and that some how give him the ability to beat his opponent. I know, cause I that's how I lost to him. I taunted him until his anger spurred him on to beat me. I hope my mistake won't be Cassie's downfall too. Unless that's her plan, to get him so angry that he's more powerful than her. No that's insane.... she wouldn't want him to beat her... would she?  
  
**- Normal POV -**  
  
"How dare you insult me by saying Dragoons attack is weak!"  
  
"It's not just your attack that's weak, your defence isn't too good either, look."  
  
Patiere began to attack Dragoon, pushing the blue blade backwards with each hit.  
  
"Arghh! Stop it! Don't patronise me Cassie!"  
  
"Well why don't you prove me wrong then Ty?... _Or can't you?"_  
  
"I'll show you! DRAGOON! PHANTOM HURRICANE!"  
  
_'So predictable,'_ thought the girl as a very strong wind was created by Tyson's blade. _'Well now's the time to decide what to do; I could beat him now and win the tournament, but then Kai wouldn't get to battle Tyson. Or I could let Tyson beat me so that they do battle. But there's still a risk that Kai would lose, and then Zeo and Tyson would be the winners. Aww man! Why does this have to be so complicated?'  
_  
Cassie reached to her pocket, and pulled out a small gem stone. It was an opal coloured moon stone, smoothly polished. The Korean clutched the stone tightly in both hands, and closed her eyes so she could think. A few moments later she opened her eyes and looked to Kai. She smiled when she saw her boyfriend look back at her with a puzzled expression on his face.  
  
"I believe in you" she whispered, then turned back to Tyson. "It's time to finish this now. PATIERE!"  
  
The moon stone in Cassie's hand began to glow, her blade too began to shine a white light. The light began to get brighter and brighter until it became so blinding that everybody had to turn away from it. So now the stadium was not only filled by a strong wind from Dragoon, but also a blinding white light that emitted from Patiere.

Without warning there was a loud crackle that startled everyone. The light then began to fade as did the wind. People gasped at they opened their eyes and looked at the beyblade dish. Patiere lay on its side, but Dragoon was still spinning.  
  
"Er... well I guess that means Tyson is the winner," announced Jazz-man, slightly confused to what had just happened.  
  
Nobody cheered, for they were too stunned, Tyson included. Cassie was obviously the stronger blader in that match, but she'd lost. What was even more confusing was that she didn't seem upset about it either, in fact she was smiling as she returned to her team's bench. Her smile wavered slightly when she saw Kai's stern face.  
  
She sat down next to him, waiting for him to speak.  
  
"You lost on purpose. Why?" It was more of a statement that question, but he still wanted Cassie to answer him.  
  
"So you could battle Tyson. I know how much you want to battle him, you told me yourself, and I saw how disappointed you were when it was announced that I would battle him. I hate to see you sad... So I lost my battle so you can battle Tyson in a third round. _Please don't be mad_, I know it risks us winning the tournament but I did it for you, please understand."  
  
Kai was shocked, he hadn't expected this at all. He didn't know what he had anticipated her to say, but it certainly wasn't this. At first he was angry, but then it sank in that she'd sacrificed her battle for him. How could be angry at that?  
  
"You did that for me?"  
  
"Yes, I just wanted to make you happy. After all you had your heart set on beating Tyson."  
  
Kai paused then a smile appeared on his lips.  
  
"Thank you," he whispered before he kissed her gently.  
  
"Your welcome," replied Cassie with a smirk.  
  
"Well folks now that the two teams are at a draw, there will be a final round with Tyson and Kai battling out to be the ultimate champion of this tournament." declared Jazz-man.  
  
"Now go win us a trophy," said Cassie whilst tapping Kai on the nose playfully.  
  
The boy smiled as he got up.  
  
"Don't worry, I will." he replied, and turned away. _"You bet I will,"_ he added with an evil twinkle in his crimson eyes.

* * *

Oooooo, so you'll have to wait for the next chapter to find out if Kai beats Tyson, I don't know meself yet. Please review, I hope you understood everything, if not then just ask, I won't be offended.  
I'll update as soon as I've written the next chapter, hopefully that won't take too long, but you never know.  
  
- Wreckless Spirit -


	17. The Final Showdown

Heya, well I've updated as soon as I could. This chapter was easier to write 'cause I knew what I wanted to happen in it, whereas in chapter 16 I didn't have a clue! I just went along with my first thoughts, but you seemed to like it so I can't complain.

A few of you reviewers have asked why the moon stone glowed when Cassie was battling. I'm impressed that you picked up on that, you're all extremely observant and deserve a pat on the back! Well I can't disclose too much information on the moon stone, because it will be explained in about two or three chapters' time. All I can say is that the stone is a sort of energy source for Patiere, but you'll find out more soon.

Thanks for all the reviews, now lets get on with the story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 17: The Final Showdown**

Tension filled the room as Kai walked up to the Beydish, where Tyson was already waiting for him. The glare the Bladebreaker captain gave his fellow team mate, sent a shiver down Tyson's spine.

This was the moment Kai had been waiting for, to finally battle Tyson in a tournament. Sure he'd played Tyson before, but that was only in training sessions, this was for real.

Both boys prepared their blades.

Tyson's cockiness slowly began to wither, he'd seen how powerful Kai had become. Plus, although he'd never admit it, he always dreaded battling his captain because of Kai's ruthlessness in battles. When Kai got into a game there was no stopping him. And from the look in Kai's eyes, he was ready to pulverise Tyson and Dragoon right this second.

'_Why does he hate me so much?'_ thought Tyson _'I mean what I'd ever do to him?'_

"Take good last look at that trophy Tyson, 'cause in a few minutes that's gonna be mine and Cassie's,"

"Don't underestimate me Kai; you saw what happened when Cassie did."

Kai smirked, _'If only you knew Tyson,'_ he thought

"3... 2... 1... Let It Rip!"

"Go Dragoon!"

"Fly Dranzer!"

Dranzer instantaneously began to slam into Dragoon with amazing force, pushing Tyson's blade backwards with each hit. Fragments of beyblade began to splinter off Dragoon.

"No Dragoon! Kai you can't do that!"

"Why not? There's no rule to say I can't."

"But you're destroying my blade!"

"So? Face it Tyson, your blade is weak compared to my Dranzer. I'm simply eliminating your problem. When I'm finished with you, you'll have an excuse to buy a new blade that's worthy of my time."

"Oh so now your saying your own team mate isn't worthy of your time, what kind of captain are you?"

"One who needs to teach a certain member of his that he is not unbeatable."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know very well. Just because you've won two major tournaments, you think that you're invincible. Well you're not. I may have lost to you previously, but today _I_ will be the victor."

"You're gonna have to beat me first though."

"Oh I intend to, no matter what the cost. I _will_ win."

Cassie watched from the side line as the match developed. She bit her lip nervously. This was what she'd been afraid of; that Kai would get lost in the game and forget exactly who he was battling. Tyson was his team mate, but he seemed regardless of that fact. Sadly it looked to Cassie, that Kai was willing to sacrifice his friendship with Tyson for the sake of this trophy and title.

'_Please don't let me regret giving you this opportunity,'_ she thought.

"Dranzer, Volcano Emission!"

"Dragoon try and stay out of his way!"

"You can't be running already Tyson; this game's only just began."

The two blades clashed, chipping more bits off Dragoon.

The rest of the Bladebreakers stood dumbfounded by the battle, as they watched from the side line.

"What is Kai doing?!" exclaimed Hilary "It's almost as if Kai wants to destroy Dragoon!"

"Perhaps he does," replied Cassie sadly

"What!" cried Max and Rei in unison

"Well think about it, Tyson's the only one of you guys who Kai hasn't beaten. You all know how he likes to defend his honour, perhaps he intends to beat Tyson once and for all."

"I hate to admit it Cassie, but I think you're right. If we don't do something I fear that Dragoon will be no more,"

"But what can we do Chief? Kai wouldn't listen to us, would he?"

"Not all of us Max, but he may listen to one person in particular,"

Rei, Max, Kenny, Zeo and Hilary all turned to the lilac eyed girl that sat to their side. She looked up at them with unsure eyes.

"Well I can't promise he'll listen to me, but I'll try. It's the least I could do, after all it is my fault they're battling in the first place."

Meanwhile Kai had continued to attack Tyson's blade with no mercy. Dragoon was now seriously wavering, most of its defence ring had been destroyed after the heavy poundings from Dranzer.

"Arghh! I've had it with this Kai, now its my turn to attack! DRAGOON!"

The blue dragon rose from its blade, to give Tyson more power.

"BLIZZARD TWISTER!"

Soon Dragoon had created a blizzard around itself. The snow proved an effective barrier against Dranzer's fire attacks.

"I thought you said you were going to attack me," sneered Kai

"I am. Dragoon cover Dranzer in snow!"

"No, Dranzer!"

The red phoenix became heavily laden in snow, weighing the blade down and slowing its rotation.

Now Kai was really mad, some how Tyson still managed to get the better of him. He grit his teeth in anger.

"I will not let you beat me!" he yelled. "Dranzer, SPIRAL SURVIVAL!"

Every one watched in amazement as Kai's blade began to spin so fast that the snow blew off it, sending ice shards directly to Dragoon.

Tyson screamed in pain as one shard hit Dragoon in the chest, narrowly missing its heart. The boy could feel the pain of Dragoon, for all bladers share some energy with their bitbeats.

"Kai stop this! Can't you see you'll destroy Dragoon if you attack this hard!" shouted someone

The two-toned haired boy looked in the direction of the voice. His eyes fell upon his beautiful girlfriend.

"Please don't do this," she pleaded. "I know you want to win, but don't risk your team mate's friendship for this tournament. You can beat him in other ways; you don't have to destroy Dragoon to win."

It took Kai a moment before he realised what Cassie was saying. In his heart of hearts he didn't want to annihilate Dragoon, but up until that moment Kai had thought that was the only way to beat Tyson. He now understood that Cassie wanted him to use his skill as a blader, rather than the strength of Dranzer to beat Tyson.

"I believe in you," she whispered

A small smile crept onto Kai's face. He returned to the battle.

"I'm sorry Tyson, I don't know what I was thinking. Let's just finish this battle fairly now."

"I agree. May the best man win... Dragoon! GALAXY TWISTER!"

Kai summoned all his skill as blader and concentrated on Dranzer. As the Phoenix flew out of Kai's blade, another fiery glow surrounded the blade and Kai. Flames spiralled around the boy, but he seemed unfazed by the whole spectacle, as he cried,

"Dranzer! BLAZING TEMPEST!"

The flames grew bigger as Dranzer went to attack Dragoon. A enormous power surge occurred as the two blades hit one another for a final time. Both bladers were sent flying backwards.

"Kai!" cried Cassie

"Tyson!" screamed Hilary

The two girls ran to the boys, Cassie to Kai and Hilary to Tyson. Much to the surprise of the Bladebreakers, it did seem that Hilary cared for Dragoon's master.

"Tyson! Are you ok? Answer me please!"

"Woah! Hilary you're choking me, let go! I'm ok, man what happened?"

"I don't know but both you and Kai went flying. You sure you're ok?"

"Yeah I'm sure, I'm a tough cookie, speaking of which I'm hungry - wait... Hey I nearly forgot! Hilary... did I win?"

Cassie lifted Kai's head onto her lap, he was still unconscious.

"Kai," she spoke softly trying to wake him up.

Groaning he opened his eyes slightly. He squinted when he tired to focus on the figure that leaned over him.

"Ca-Cassie?"

"I'm here, sshhhh."

"Wha-What happened?"

"There was an energy surge when Dragoon and Dranzer collided; both you and Tyson were thrown to the floor. Don't worry, Ty's fine, so are your blades."

He attempted to get up but the girl held his shoulders down.

"No you should rest for a bit. I'd imagine you're feeling weak after such an amazing duel."

"Huh?"

The girl smiled sweetly at Kai's puzzled face

"You won."

* * *

Well I hope you enjoyed that final battle. I hope you're not disappointed. Let me reassure you that this is NOT the end of my fic, I still have a lot more planned.

So stay tuned and don't forget to review! Please do review because its makes me motivated to write the next chapters. I'll update when I can.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	18. Moonstones and More

Heya guys sorry its taken so long for an update. Thanks for all your reviews, they made me smile. I'm past 60 reviews now yippee! (66 to be exact)

**LunaRavenCroft:** ahem #Laugh nervously# please don't tie me down, I promise to write more! Honest! But hey glad you feel so strongly bout my story #big grin#

**Diamond Core:** Well I might have something planned for Hilary and Tyson, you just might find out in this chapter.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs**, **Devi of the Wolves** and everyone else who wants to know more about the crystal thing you'll find out more in this chapter, but not everything. More will be revealed in each chapter, just to torture you all!

**archangel-warrior: **Hey sorry, when I wrote out your last name the stars wouldn't show up, and I doubt that the squiggly thing you've got in your new name will show up either. Sorry! Well I'm not sure how many chapters there's left to the story exactly, but I'm aiming for around... 40. Is that ok? It might not be as many as that, it all depends on how many chapters I fit the storyline into. Hope that answers your question

Also thanks to **cidmil jercoy **and** pishcules **for reviewing. Now lets get on with the chapter. This is only a suggestion, but I've found a song that will fit with this chapter very well. Its "With You" by Linkin Park. Don't start playing till later on in the chapter, I'll let you know when. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeasts.

* * *

****

****

**Chapter 18: Moonstones and More**

Two weeks had passed since Cassie and Kai had won the tournament. The couple had been busy with all the interviews and press meetings that go with winning such a tournament, but now the hype had died down.

All the Bladebreakers were now resting at Tyson's dojo. Zeo had chosen to go away for a few weeks so he could brush up on his blading skills, he was still disappointed with his performance at the tournament even though he and Tyson were runners up.

Everything was peaceful, even Tyson and Hilary weren't fighting.

But this may have been because they had since declared their love for each other, and were now dating. Cassie guessed that Hilary had realised her true feelings for Tyson when she had feared he'd been hurt during the final.

The blast the two received had been quite immense. Amazingly Tyson seemed completely unfazed by the event, however his captain had not been so lucky.

Kai still hadn't recovered from that battle. He still had frequent dizzy spells if he trained for too hard. Doctors had told him to take it easy, to restore his energy levels; but of course Kai wouldn't listen and insisted he was fine.

He now lay his head on Cassie's lap whilst she read a book to him. Rei and Max were cleaning their blades. Kenny was talking to Hilary about new training schedules. And Tyson... well he was eating as usual.

So the dojo was peaceful to a certain extent.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, which made Kai sit up

The gang looked at each other – they weren't expecting visitors.

"Who could that be?" asked Max

"I'll go see," replied Cassie

She went to the door and opened it. The dark haired girl was confronted with a tall figure in a brown rag cloak. A hood covered its face.

"Give this to your captain," it said in a muffled as it shoved an envelope into Cassie's hand. Then it turned and ran down the path, and out onto the street.

"Hey wait!" she cried, "Damn he's gone."

Slightly confused she went back inside, to be greeted by her team.

"Who was it?" asked Hilary

"I don't know, he had a hood on and muffled his voice. He said to give this to you Kai."

They all watched as their captain took the envelope. He opened it and pulled out a letter, as he did so a small stone fell out of the envelope. Rei picked it up and examined it.

"What's this?" he enquired.

"It looks like some kind of gem stone," replied Kenny

"Can I see," asked Cassie.

Rei dropped the small gem into her hand. She frowned. The opal smooth texture was one she knew all too well.

"It's a moon stone," she said with no emotion in her voice. "What's the letter say?"

"I can't tell, it's not in a language I recognise."

"Give it here," said Hilary. "I know a few languages maybe I can help. Now lets see... Oh its Korean I think, um Cassie I think you'd be best to read it out. It's got some words I don't recognise, probably something to do with beyblades, here."

**(AN: I've suddenly realised that I didn't explain that in this fic, Hilary lived in Cassie's village in Korea for a few years before she moved to Japan. So that's how they know each other and why Hilary knows a little bit of Korean. Hope that clears that up!)**

Cassie took the letter and read it out.

_Dear Bladebreakers,_

_We are beyblade team that's new to Japan. I understand that you are the best beybladers in the world. I would like to see if this is true. We challenge you're team to battle ours, 10 o'clock tomorrow night, just outside the North Forest. Come see us, if you're not too afraid of the dark that is._

_T.T_

_PS. You might want to bring along my Shining Light to help you._

The girl scowled at the letter in her hand.

"Well that's a bit of a strange letter," said Max

"Are we going to accept their challenge Kai?" asked Rei

"Of course. The Bladebreakers never pass up a challenge."

"Yeah and we never lose either!" added Tyson

"Cassie are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh I'm fine Hilary, I just need to get some air. I'll be outside if you need me"

**(AN: start playing the song now, but don't start reading the outside part until the lyrics start - it fits better then.)**

As the girl exited the room, she heard Tyson say

"What do you suppose 'my Shining Light' means?"

"I guess it must have been that moon stone that was in the letter." Replied Kenny

_- Outside -_

The girls sighed softly as she breathed in the cold night air.

She looked up to the full moon, it cast a silvery light on her face.

'_Could it be,'_ she thought

_- Flashback -_

She went to the door and opened it. The dark haired girl was confronted with a tall figure in a brown rag cloak. A hood covered its face.

"Give this to your captain," it said in a muffled as it shoved an envelope into Cassie's hand. Then it turned and ran down the path and out onto the street.

_- End Flashback -_

'_Was that him...?'_

She looked at the gem stone in her right hand, then with her left hand she shoved the letter into her pocket, whilst retrieving her own moonstone. For a while she compared the two gems.

They were very similar in colour and texture but hers was much larger. Bringer them closer to her face she remembered how she'd got her own. Suppressing this thought she brought the two gems up to the moonlight.

'_Only they'd know about the moonlight stones...'_

She closed her eyes as she concentrated hard, when she opened her eyes they had changed from their usual lilac colour. They were now gleaming white. A whitish glow also surrounded Cassie as the two moonstones began to glow a brightly in her hand.

The glow was almost as bright as the moon itself. Cassie stayed like this a few seconds, he eyes fixed onto the two shining gems. Her eyes suddenly went wide as if she were in pain. Immediately the glow began to fade.

'_Well that's settles it, there genuine moonstones. Which means...'_

Cassie pulled out Patiere and brought it next to the two stones. The purple blade flickered a lilac colour as it touched the two gems.

'_It must be them, but why would they send it though?'_

She turned to the moon as if it would answer her questions. Putting the moonstones into her pocket she brought out the letter once again. Unfolding it she began to read it.

"_my Shining Light"_ she whisperedwith a hint of dread "That settles it, it is them"

_We challenge you're team to battle ours, 10 o'clock tomorrow night, just outside the North Forest_

"They're fools to battle us,"

She launched Patiere and watched the blade circle a near by tree, suddenly the blade began to spin faster as it went in a figure of eight pattern in the dojo courtyard. As Cassie caught her blade she looked as the scorch marks on the floor. A smirk appeared on her face.

"I'll be waiting... 10 o'clock tomorrow night... I can't wait."

With that the girl turned to return inside, only to be met by a friendly pair of ruby eyes. Hilary seemed concerned for her friend. She had observed Cassie's actions with the moonstone and how her friend had began to glow. Hilary sadly knew what this could mean.

"Is it from..." Hilary started to ask, but was cut off by her Korean friend.

"Yeah... They've found me."

* * *

Haha well there's a kind of cliffie for you! I hope you like it, the start was a bit lame I think. I hope the music fitted if you played it. Oh well, I better start writing the next chapter, I think the next chapter will be my favourite; its full of surprises and should be very long. I've been planning it for some time now. I'll update as soon as I've finished it.

Please Review!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	19. Moonlight Battles

Heya guys, well here's the next chapter. I've decided to put my original idea into two chapters because a) its not so long to read then and b) I can update sooner.

**LunaRavenCroft: **Oh dear, that's just typical you don't have that song. Well I guess it isn't one of their most famous songs so you know, can't blame ya. Hope you've got it now and I hope it was worth the effort to find it too.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Ah yes I am mean... but with good reason. I mean, if I'd explained the moonstone thing straight away, then where would be the motivation for people to continue reading my story. Hope you didn't mind too much, I'll pre-warn you there's no info on the moonstones in this chapter, just a little mention of them. The explanation is definitely in the next chapter.

**archangel-warrior: **I was happy to answer your question. If you've got anymore queries then just ask, I'd be happy to help. That goes for anyone else as well.

**Diamond Core: **Hey great minds think alike! Glad you liked the eye thing going on. I totally agree - thanks LunaRavenCroft for the encouragement your stories are awesome too!

**Plushie Ray: **Heya can't really think of anything to say as such, but didn't want you to feel left out. Thanks for reviewing the last chapter and... your plushie Rei sounds sooooo cute!

**Ilovecake2: **Glad you like cliffies 'cause there are much more to come! Yeah I think Tyson and Hilary make a cute couple too.

**Bloody-Shadows: **Um well if I'm honest I haven't thought of a pairing for Rei... yet. If you want him to be with someone, well I could give him a love interest. But it would probably have to be later on in the story and most likely with Mariah. What you think?

Now that I've dealt with my wonderful reviewers, lets move swiftly onto the next chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, however my characters are my own creations and so are their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 19: Moonlight Battles**

The Bladebreakers waited patiently at the edge of the North Forest. For some reason the woods had an ominous feel to them at night. This added to the already eerie atmosphere. A thin layer of mist had settled on the grassy ground, and it seemed to glow as the moonlight hit it.

"I'm cold," whispered Hilary

"Here, have my jacket,"

"Thanks Tyson," replied the girl as she kissed him on the cheek.

"I can't believe its so chilly tonight, it was baking today." Shivered Max

"Well the night changes everything," replied Rei

"What time is it?" asked Kenny in hushed voice

"Nearly ten past ten." Answered Kai

"I don't think our challengers are gonna show. Hey they're probably too chicken!"

"Tyson don't say that! You don't know if they're listening on us this very instant... They could be waiting in the woods for all we know. I don't think you insulting them is gonna help us." Hissed the lilac eyed girl.

"Hey chill Cassie, I'm just joking... Hear that people in the woods! I DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

"Tyson shut up! We don't want to attract any unwelcome visitors,"

"But you...you said... Ah never mind"

Dragoons master plopped himself on the floor and pulled a face, and started muttering something to himself. All of the gang rolled their eyes.

A rustle in the trees startled the team. The rustling slowly grew louder as it came closer, Cassie moved behind Kai and held onto his shirt gently. No one knew who or what to expect to come out of those trees.

Finally, the rustling stopped as five hooded figures stepped out from the bushes. The strangers were all clad in long brown cloaks, making them look identical, well except one who was considerably shorter than the rest. They all stood in a long line facing the Bladebreakers. One of the strangers stepped forwards. He appeared to be their leader.

"You must be the Bladebreakers, you got my letter then,"

"Yeah and your little gift," said Tyson as he held out the moonstone.

"Ah I see you brought along _my Shining Light_," replied the figure as he glanced to Cassie.

The Korean girl averted his gaze.

"Cut the chit-chat," demanded Kai. "Who are you?"

"That will be explained soon... We're here to battle."

Although the figure was hooded you could tell he was watching Cassie. In fact he never took his eyes off her, which made her feel slightly uncomfortable. When Kai realised this he glared at the stranger.

"Keep you eyes to yourself!" barked Kai.

"Oooo touchy aren't we?" The stranger turned to Cassie. "Is he always this protective?"

This made Kai even madder, the boy clenched his fists. Cassie gently held onto his hands and tried to turn him around to face her.

"Kai we need to discuss who's battling who. Leave him, he's not worth it."

In the moonlight you could see the stranger smirk at this comment.

"Yeah you best listen to your girlfriend now," he said mockingly.

Kai sent the stranger another death glare.

"That's it!" shouted Kai. "You want a battle? I'll give you one!"

"Kai don't!"

"I'm not gonna let him ogle at you; he has to be taught a lesson."

"Kai you can't battle him! You still haven't recovered properly from..."

"I'M FINE!" he snarled

"Fine!" huffed Cassie as she turned away and crossed her arms. "But if you're battling, I am too!"

"What?" cried the strangers in unison.

"You heard." She replied simply

"Sorry, but we're here to challenge the Bladebreakers," said another of the figures, to which the rest of the hooded people all nodded.

"But Cassie _is_ a member of our team," replied Rei calmly

You could hear the strangers gasp as they turned to their leader for guidance. The leading hooded figure paused shortly then looked at the lilac eyed girl.

"Very well, _Cassie_ may battle one of our team."

"What!" cried some of the strangers.

The leader summoned his team into a huddle. They began to whisper to one another. Some seemed to protest about something. Then the short figure began to shake his head nervously.

"I can't battle her!" he shrieked

"You _can_ and you _will_," threatened his captain.

Shortly after this 'debate' they turned back to face the Bladebreakers.

"We have decided on the battles," announced the mysterious leader.

A member of the new team then went to stand opposite each of the Bladebreakers. The leader stood opposite Kai and the short one faced Cassie. Hilary and Kenny sat to the side to watch the battles.

"I don't like this chief," whispered Hilary as she watched her friends prepare for battle.

"Neither do I Hilary, but we'll just have to see what happens."

"3... 2... 1... Let It Rip!"

* * *

_**- With Cassie -**_

"Go Patiere!"

"Go Aysel!"

"...Aysel?" questioned a shocked Cassie.

The small boy's blade began to glow as a racoon emerged form his blade. The girl stood shocked, then she began to smirk.

"Now I know why you didn't want to battle me. This won't take long... Patiere finish him off!"

"No Aysel!"

His red blade fell still after only one attack from Patiere. The little one fell to his knees in dismay.

"I knew I shouldn't have battled you," he sobbed.

* * *

_**- With Tyson -**_

"Dragoon, get him!"

The blue dragon began its assault on the brown bear of his opponent.

"Chandra you know what to do," cried the hooded boy.

The bear roared on command and struck Dragoon with its large paw, sending the dragon to the ground.

"No dragoon! Get up buddy... please!"

But the dragon remained on the floor. Chandra went to investigate the lifeless body.

"I thought you were supposed to be good?" sneered the figure.

Tyson just smirked as the bear turned its back on Dragoon.

"NOW DRAGOON!"

One this command the dragon leapt onto its enemy. This represented Tyson's blade slamming into the figures brown blade. It only took this one hit to make Tyson the victor.

"I guess _you've_ never heard of playing dead." Smirked the navy haired boy.

* * *

**_- With Rei -_**

Driger was now deep into a battle with a bat bitbeast named Nuray. However the match was not going quite to plan as far as Rei was concerned. Each time Driger went to attack Nuray, the bat would fly out of Driger's reach.

"Kitty can't get me can he?" teased Rei's opponent.

"Batty can't battle can he?" retorted the neiko jin.

The hooded figure grit his teeth.

"Nuray Vampire Bite!"

The bat zoned in on the tiger and sunk its fangs into Driger.

"No Driger! Shake him off!"

Driger efforts were in vain, Rei's silver blade began to slow as the bat drained Driger of his energy. Eventually it was all over as the silver blade lay on its side, motionless.

* * *

_**- With Max -**_

"Draciel Fortress Defence!"

The turtle like bitbeast retreated to the inside of its shell. This was the perfect defense against its opponent, and owl named Selene. Draciel's shell kept it safe from Selene's talons.

It may have seemed that Max was hiding from his battle, but as we all know his speciality was winning his battles by a defensive strategy. The blond boy knew, that each attempt the owl made to attack Draciel, would make it a little more tired. However Max had not accounted for one thing.

In one of the owl's assaults, Selene had some how managed to flip Draciel onto its back. Now Dracile was in a vulnerable position, there was no way the turtle could get off his back. The owl now began attacking it.

Soon Max's opponent was the winner, much to the blond boy's disappointment.

* * *

Only Kai's battle was still in progress. The rest of the team members gathered to watch their team captains battle each other. The Bladebreakers, including Hilary and Kenny stayed close to one another. Cassie seemed quieter than usual as she watched her boyfriend battle.

So far neither bladers had called out their bitbeast. They wanted to see how strong their competition was first. The two blades one blue (Kai's) and one black and white clashed together several times. Sparks flew each time they came in contact with the other.

"You're gonna have to do better than that to beat me." Said the hooded blader.

"I haven't even started yet," replied the cool two-toned haired boy.

The hooded figure looked once again to Cassie, and smirked devilishly, sending a shiver down the Korean girl's spine.

"Hey keep your eyes off my girlfriend!" yelled Kai.

The boy made no reply but turned back to the battle. Kai had had enough of his opponents advances to Cassie.

"DRANZER!"

The fiery phoenix rose out of its blade and lit up the night sky.

"Impressive," remarked the hooded boy. "KAMARIA!"

The black and white blade began to glow as a Tasmanian Devil emerged from the blade. It snarled viciously at the phoenix.

"It's rather an ugly bitbeast," stated Kai. "You know a bitbeast is supposed resemble its owner... No wonder you wear a hood."

"Silence! Do not insult me! You _will_ regret it I promise."

"Really..."

"Kamaria attack!"

Obediently the Tasmanian devil began to attack the phoenix by snapping at Dranzer's talons. Occasionally he nipped the phoenix's wings which made the bird screech in pain.

"Dranzer Flame Sombre!"

This attack made the devil retreat immediately. It was now covering low to the ground with its jaws wide open in a threatening manner.

Kai summoned his blade to attack Kamaria several times.

"Oh man Kai's got this in the bag!" yelled Tyson

"It sure looks like he's gonna win," added Rei

"Don't be so sure," answered Cassie in a low voice that was barely auditable.

"What do you mean Cass?" asked a confused Max.

"Just... Just don't count his opponent out of the game just yet."

Kenny was about to enquire further but was cut off by the continuing battle.

"Dranzer attack!"

The blue blade went in for the kill, but then something unplanned happened. The moon that had lit up the battle went behind a cloud. Darkness fell over everyone. It only lasted a few seconds, but when the moonlight returned, Kamaria was no where to be seen.

"What the?" said Kai as he looked around for his enemy's blade.

"Awww can't you find my blade?" taunted the hooded figure.

Kai grit his teeth and clenched his fists. If he didn't where Kamaria was, Dranzer was vulnerable to a surprise attack.

"Kamaria! Ambush Assault!"

Everyone gasped as the black and white blade flew out of a nearby tree and headed straight to Dranzer. But it was blocked by a certain purple blade and black panther.

Cassie stood strong, her hair blowing in the breeze, as she glared at the hooded captain. Kai and the others remained speechless.

"Your tactics never change," she said with no emotion in her voice.

The stranger called back his blade.

"Neither do yours," replied the stranger in a cocky tone.

"Wait a second," interrupted Kenny "You know each other?"

* * *

Hehe another cliffie! Did you like that chapter? I did a lot of research on the animals that I used as bitbeasts. For example how a bear will leave something if it thinks it is dead. I also found out the habits of Tasmanian devils; they snap and growl when they are threatened. They are also good at climbing trees which is where I got the ambush idea from.

The names of the bitbeast do mean something but that will all be explained in the next chapter. As will the moonstone thing too, I promise. I hope this chapter made sense; if you have any questions about it or anything else for that matter then just ask.

From now on, because of school work etc, I'll probably only be able to update once a week - providing I've written the chapter of course. Please review as it gives me the motivation to write quicker. Thanks.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	20. Jelena?

Heya guys and dolls. It's time for an update. Sorry it's taken so long, I've been really busy recently – mainly with homework which isn't a laugh a minute, but hey its gotta get done sometime. Now to my reviewers:

**Bloody-Shadows: **You liked the last chapter then? Lol. Um... I think I'll have to decline on the offer to use your character as Rei's love interest, sorry. Its just I don't think it would fit in with the storyline I had planed for my story. But maybe I'll use her in a future fanfic of mine eh? Please don't hate me! I think I'll leave Rei single in this fic.

**Sakura : **Glad you appreciate the effort I've put into the last chaper, this chapter has more research stuff in it too so enjoy!

**Ilovecake2 : **Wow 3 reviews from you lol! I guess you like my story, cheers! Glad you like the cliffies cause there's plenty more where they came from.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs : **Hey thanks for reviewing even though you were in a rush. You'll find out far more about the moonstones in this chapter so I hope you enjoy it!

**Diamond Core: **Yeah I spose not many authors do research but I do. I was really bored in the summer holidays, so when I decided to write this fic I found out loads of things for it. All my research was done ages ago, but finally now I can use it because I've reached this point in my story. I'm pleased you like cliffies. I do too, but when are you going to update your story? I've been in suspense for ages about it! Please update yours soon.

Well now it time for the rest of the story, enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 20: Jelena?**

_**LAST TIME**_

"_Your tactics never change," she said with no emotion in her voice._

_The stranger called back his blade._

"_Neither do yours," replied the stranger in a cocky tone._

"_Wait a second," interrupted Kenny "You know each other?"_

__

* * *

__

Silence fell over everyone. No one dared to speak. Cassie and the hooded figure continued to glare holes into each other. The Bladebreakers had never known Cassie to have such a cold stare, it was almost identical to Kai's. Eventually the ebony haired girl broke the silence.

"I knew who you were as soon as I saw the letter." Stated Cassie. "Aysel only confirmed my suspicions... You might as well show your face, you cover's blown now."

The figure nodded and removed his hood. A boy of around Kai's age stood before them. He had a mass of creamy-blond hair and deep pine-green eyes.

He and Cassie continued to stare deeply at one another. Then a small smile appeared onto the boys lips, Cassie then too began to smile as she rushed to hug the boy.

"I've missed you so much!" she squealed as she bear-hugged the stranger.

The Bladebreakers stood dumb founded. Kai seemed particularly shocked.

"Err... Can some one explain what's going on please? 'Cause I'm like totally confused here," said Max

"You're not the only one," replied Kai, who sounded a little agitated.

The two teens stopped hugging and turned to the Bladebreakers.

"Oh sorry guys," apologised Cassie. "Let me introduce you all to my best friend...Daren."

* * *

Both teams were now sat down in a circle. Cassie sat in between Kai and Daren. The new team had all taken their hoods off to show their faces.

"So Cassie how do you all know each other?" asked Rei

"These guys are from my village back in Korea. I've known them since like... well forever!" Exclaimed Cassie

"You never mentioned you knew a Beyblading team," said Max

"You never mentioned us?" Daren turned to look at the girl.

"Well err... no, I mean... I err..."

"Why should she want to mention you?" shrugged Kai simply.

Daren seemed a little taken aback by this comment, you could even say he seemed hurt.

"I just thought she'd mention her old team."

"What!?" exclaimed the Bladebreakers.

Cassie looked to Daren wide eyed, she shook her head with worry.

'_Please don't tell them'_ she thought

"You never told us you were on a Beyblade team." Stated Kai

"She wasn't just on it, she was captain of Team Twilight. But I guess she failed to tell you that too."

Daren began to stand up and dust off his clothes from sitting on the grass. He seemed annoyed at Cassie for not mentioning her old friends.

"Team Twilight, I'm sure I've heard of that team," pondered Rei.

"It wouldn't surprise me; we are the Korean champions after all."

"You definitely didn't tell us that!" exclaimed Tyson.

"I... I..." Cassie stuttered to find an explanation.

"Is there anything else you haven't told us?" Asked a stern Kai.

His face had a deep frown on it.

Why hadn't she told him anything of her old team before? Why had she led the Bladebreakers to believe she was an amateur? For some reason Kai knew there was something else she was hiding.

The Korean girl looked to the floor before looking to Daren. The blonde boy raised an eyebrow at his friend.

"I think they deserve to know," he replied simply. "Don't you...? _Cassie_?"

"Deserve to know what?" asked Max

Cassie sighed softly and looked to the Bladebreakers.

"Its probably easier if I explain about my team and my village first.... You know how Rei's village has the power of cats?"

The Bladebreakers nodded

"Well our village has the power of night... in particular the moon. Our team name is Team Twilight. All our Bitbeasts are nocturnal animals, as you may have realised. Their names; Selene, Aysel, Chandra, Kamaria and Nuray all mean 'moon' in various languages. Our own names also mean something too..."

Another of Team Twilight spoke up. He had medium length lavender hair and dark blue eyes.

"I'm Mika, owner of Chandra, my name means New Moon"

A boy with short spiky teal hair and purple eyes spoke next.

"Nuray's my Bitbeast. I'm called Tariq which means Night Visitor."

The next to speak was a tanned boy. He had long black hair tied into a pony tail, and dark brown eyes.

"The names Samir, meaning Evening Companion. Selene is my Bitbeast."

The blonde captain was next.

"Daren means Born at Night, quite fitting considering I was. I own Kamaria."

The small member of their team fidgeted slightly. He had a mass of scruffy orange hair and icy blue eyes.

"I'm the owner of Aysel. My name is Tino... its kind of an exception to the rest of my team because it means Small."

"For some reason the tradition was not followed when Tino was named, but then again his older brother, Tariq was named like us, so perhaps that's why." Added Cassie

"And what's your name mean Cassie?" asked Tyson

"I'll come to that in a minute... Our team is unique in the fact that we can harness the power of the moon via these."

The lilac eyed girl held out her moonstone, the rest of her old team followed her example and held out their own gems.

"Part of the moons energy is trapped inside these gemstones... It's something only the people of our village can use. We were all taught from an early age... When we battle in a Beyblade match, we can use these to give our Bitbeast more power or less if it is needed. For example when I battled Tyson, I used my moonstone to control Patiere's energy levels. We can use our moonstones together to increase this energy level. Here I'll show you."

Cassie launched her blade. Daren also did so, Kamaria and Patiere began to circle each other. The Bladebreakers watched with interest.

The two bladers, who were now standing, stood facing each other. They took out their moonstones and looked towards the full moon.

Shutting their eyes at exactly the same time they raised they arms towards the moon. The Bladebreakers watched in amazement as the gems began to glow in the moonlight.

Both Patiere and Kamaria began to spin faster and encircle each other at a quicker rate.

Daren and Cassie snapped open their eyes in unison, which was freaky in itself, but what made it worse was their eyes were now glowing a white sheen. The glow surrounded both of their bodies. The darkness of the night emphasised this white glow of the moonstones.

Now Patiere and Kamaria were spinning at an incredible speed. A trail of smoke followed each of the blades, showing just how fast they were going. Soon the two blades had created a small tornado between them.

The rest of Team Twilight now held out their glowing stones too. The five of them stood in a sort of star shape.

"PATIERE!" cried Cassie

"KAMARIA" cried Daren

A beam of light shot from each of the moonstones into the centre of the five people, and then directly up into the night sky. As this happened, Patiere and Kamaria rose out of their blades and encircled the beam of light.

The two blades were now super charged. They began to do a criss-cross shape around the beam of light. All of a sudden the two blades clashed and a huge sheet of white light surrounded everyone there.

When the light faded, the Bladebreakers saw with amazement that the two blades were still spinning. The two bladers called back their blades.

"Wow, that was some power you two had!" gasped Max

"Yeah I've never seen anything like that before!" added Rei

"It was impressive," stated Kai. "But you still haven't told us what your name means."

The girl hung her head so that her long, dark, wavy hair covered her face.

"Well?" the tone of his voice sounded impatient.

She remained silent. Kai folded his arms in annoyance.

"Cassie... Why won't you tell me? What does you're name mean?"

"Shining Light," she whispered

"Shining Light?"

"Yeah." The girl lifted her head to look at Kai. "Jelena means Shining Light."

"_Jelena_?!"

* * *

Hmmmm yet another cliffie... hope you liked it. The moonstone queries have been answered at last! Now there's a new twist to the plot – yeah it's kinda strange but I think it will work. At least I hope you guys like it.

Just a note: Jelena is pronounced Yelena (That's just in case you didn't know already)

I'm not going to be able to update for a while. I'm going on holiday in half term and it will probably take the week after that to write the next chapter.

So that will give you plenty of time to review this chapter – only joking you don't have to review if you don't want to, but I would appreciate it!

Until next time

- Wreckless Spirit -


	21. Everyone has secrets

Heya guys I just want to say thank you SO much for all the reviews I had about the last chapter. You made me feel so wanted – big hugz to you all!

**Kikile: **Sorry that its taken so long to update, its just life I guess. But one the bright side I do update pretty much once a week, it could be worse, so authors don't update for months! My holiday gave me the chance to think about this story, so good will come of it I promise!

**Diamond Core: **I know the feeling, I think teachers think we all don't have social lives or something cause I'm getting loads of homework to do too! Over the holidays I was set a few essays to do, but of course it's a bit tricky to do them if I'm abroad! Oh well have do them very quickly (and badly) just to make my point clear. Only joking! And about your story, I forgive ya totally just update soon!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **You finally know about the moonstones! As for Cassie/ Jelena's name well you'll find about that in this chapter... I think!

**LunaRavenCroft: **Yay you reviewed! I wondered if you were still reading my story or not. Glad you are! So you liked the eyes then? I liked the name Jelena too, see I could have picked any other name that meant star like Hosiko, but I thought Jelena sounded prettier.

**HeartlessKaiLover: **I only stopped because I went on holiday, I would have written loads more if I'd spent half-term at home; but instead I went for some sun and sea abroad lol. Hope you forgive me!

**Ilovecake2: **Three reviews from you! You're very keen lol, and you read it twice too! The name Jelena is Russian by the way - that won't necessarily have anything to do with the story, I mean Cassie/ Jelena is definitely from Korea. But hopefully everything will be explained later.

**RayeBBG: **Thanks for the review, I updated as soon as I could!

**Bloody-Shadows: **Phew! I thought you might have been offended that I couldn't use you character... glad you not though. You shouldn't have felt guilty for asking me anyways! Oh and er... don't kill Rei – I need him for my story!

**Story Weaver1: **Glad you like the Ty/Hil thing that's going on in my story. 5 pages of Yaoi to find this! What was my story doing amongst all of that? Oh well thanks for grin and bearing it all to find my story (I read your bio and it appears you're not a fan of Yaoi lol). Thanks for reviewing!

**Pyscobunny: **Disappointed? About the storyline or that I couldn't update? Please let me know, I'm a little confused. Thanks for the review though.

Anyways lets go onto the story. Now I planned this chapter, and the next one, when I was on hols so it might not be as brilliant as the others (if they were at all lol).

One night I thought of a really good idea to explain why Cassie had changed her name, but the next morning I'd forgotten it, how typical. So I've come up with a new idea, but then again this might have been what I'd originally planned and I've just forgotten...

Either way this is how the story is gonna go, so I hope you all like it, and I hope it all makes sense. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 21: Everyone has secrets**

"Jelena?!"

The Bladebreakers stood shocked. No one was quite sure whether they'd heard their Korean friend correctly.

"Wh-what do you mean by Jelena?" asked a very puzzled Tyson. "I mean, your name's Cassie... Isn't it?"

The lilac eyed girl shook her head solemnly.

"No..." she replied glumly. "I'm afraid I've deceived you all about my true identity... My name is Jelena Greendale. I was captain of Team Twilight and am the Korean Beyblade Champion... I'm sorry."

She looked to the floor to hide her watery eyes.

Everyone stood in silence.

"Why did you lie?" asked a baffled Rei

"That's what I'd like to know too," added Daren as he folded his arms.

The girl glared at her old friend, you could see the hatred in her eyes, but she was distracted when Kai began to walk away from the group.

"Kai wait! Where are you going?" She cried with despair. "Please let me explain..."

"You have nothing to explain," answered Kai in an emotionless, cold voice. "There's nothing I want to hear you say."

With that he turned and walked away into the woods. The girl fell to her knees and began to weep.

"Please, don't go..." she sobbed.

Daren walked over to her and placed a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.

"There, there Jelena... You knew this fairy tale of yours couldn't last forever."

The girl went noticeably tense.

"You... Why did you have to tell them!"

"As I recall, it was you who told them everything," sneered the boy.

"Only because you started them asking questions!" snapped the girl.

She seemed to be unaware that the remaining Bladebreakers were watching the two argue.

"You should know by now Jelena that lies _always_ come back to haunt you."

"Stop calling me Jelena! As far as I'm concerned, I left that name behind when I left the village!"

"Oh I see, you think that changing you name changes what happened. Well here's a newsflash for you, IT DOESN'T!"

The dark haired girl went to say something but found she couldn't. Instead she broke down into tears.

"I just wanted to forget," she sobbed.

"Maybe forgetting isn't the best way to deal with it," replied the blonde boy softly.

The Bladebreakers looked at each other; all had blank expressions on their faces. After a little while Kenny made an attempt to speak.

"Ah-hem... I don't mean to intrude Cassie, I mean Jelena... But what is so upsetting that you want to forget about?"

Hesitantly the girl wiped some tears away on her cheek.

"It's a long story, but I guess you all deserve to know... It all happened last year. Our team had been entered into another championship in Korea. We had made it to the finals and were up against the North Korean Champions. (We're the South Korean Champions by the way).

This match was really important and I wanted my team to achieve its full potential... So I pushed them to their limits. Made them train 8 hours a day, seven days a week to prepare for their battle.

Our team was slightly different then. There were only four entered into the tournament; myself, Daren, Mika and Ion."

"Who's Ion?" asked Max

_- Flashback -_

A smallish boy with ice blue hair and brown eyes launched his sky-blue blade at Patiere. It attacked several times but made no difference to the purple blade. Suddenly Patiere attacked and sent the blue blade flying out of the ring. The boy sighed with frustration and went to pick up his blade.

"You're gonna have to do better than that in the finals Ion." Snapped a certain lilac eyed girl.

"I'm trying my best Jelena, but I'm tired. Look, I've been training for six hours solid, can we please stop now?"

"_Stop? _Stop! STOP! Don't you want to win the final match?"

"Of course I do..."

"Well then you'd better keep training. 'Cause at this rate you'll never win!"

_- End Flashback -_

"It went on like that until the battle. I just wanted my team to be the best. Everyone improved during my training sessions even though they were tough. Ion was the only one who seemed to struggle with all the pressure.

I knew he was a strong blader, he just needed to focus more. I guess I didn't help his confidence. Even in the battle I pushed him to his limits."

_- Flashback -_

Two blades, one ice blue and one green clashed for the fifth time.

"Come on Ion! Concentrate harder!" beckoned the female captain.

Ion frowned.

"Alright NEONA lets show them our true strength!" he cried

On command Ion's blade began to glow. A beautiful fox emerged from his blade. The blade slammed into its opponent.

"That's it Ion! Now use your moonstone for ultimate power!"

"But Jelena I couldn't control its power..."

"Do you want to lose or what? Just remember what I taught you and you'll be fine."

"But..."

"Ion! As team captain, I order you to do this for your team!"

The boy paled slightly, none the less he reluctantly reached into his pocket and produced his moonstone.

'_This is it Ion, you can do this – I think,'_ thought the boy

Raising the gem above his head, he began to chant the sacred words to control his stone.

"Quen-quailo neegano, cu-rundey naythail..."

The moonstone began to glow as did his blade. Everything seemed to be going to plan; slowly but surely Ion's blade began to push his opponent's blade closer to the edge of the ring. However it was still not powerful enough to end the match.

"Ion you need to harness more energy."

"Jelena I don't think I can..." his voice sounded weaker than before.

"You have to Ion. If you lose this match, we'll have lost the championship! Ion! I don't like weak links in my team. Do you want to be the weakness?"

"No..."

"Then you know what you have to do, _don't you_?"

The boy sighed and shut his eyes. He began to chant once again but this time it was louder and said with more purpose.

"Quen-quailo nee-gano, cu-rundey naythail..."

The glow began to get brighter.

"Quen-quailo nee-gano, cu-rundey naythail! QUEN-QUAILO NEE-GANO, CU-RUNDEY NAYTHAIL!"

The blade made one final attack on its opponent.

Suddenly the boy screamed in pain. His eyes shot open.

As the two blades hit, a blinding white light surrounded the arena. When the light subsided, both blades lay shattered on the floor.

However that wasn't what concerned Team Twilight at that moment in time... No, what worried them most was that their team mate Ion, lay on the ground – lifeless.

_- End Flashback -_

The Korean girl broke down into tears again.

"Ion's been in a coma since then," explained Daren.

"And it's all because of me," sobbed the girl. "I shouldn't have pushed him so hard."

"You did what any captain would have done," insisted Daren as he tried to comfort his friend.

"Yeah I'd imagine Kai would have done exactly the same thing," added Tyson.

"But as captain, I should be looking out for my team. Instead I acted as if Beyblading was more important than Ion's health, and that's landed him in hospital."

The girl turned to her old team.

"I wasn't worthy of being your captain, that's why I left. It helped that Mum and Dad were getting a divorce because that gave me the opportunity to move to Japan and forget everything that happened. Changing my name gave me the chance to move on, so nobody would know..."

"But Hilary knew..."

"You knew!" exclaimed the Bladebreakers to Hilary.

"Er, well..."

She and Kenny looked at each other.

"Leave Hilary out of this!" snapped the Korean girl to Daren. "Now look what you've done! Why couldn't you have let sleeping dogs lie? Everything was good before you came and found me. Now Kai doesn't trust me, it's likely that the rest of my team doesn't either and to make things worse you bring Hilary into it! Why did you have to come and find me!"

She was practically screaming at the blonde boy.

"We want you back on the team, as our captain," he stated simply.

"What?"

"Jelena you were the best captain we've ever had," said Tariq

"Our team hasn't been the same since you left," added Mika

"Yeah, we're not as good as we used to be," agreed Tino

"You're the one who made us strong. You taught us everything we know," insisted Samir.

"You guys don't need me, you're better off without me."

"But we're not," interrupted Daren. "Jelena, everything went downhill when you left. But we couldn't track you down because you changed your name and your father wouldn't tell us where you went. Then Mika found this..."

Mika reached into his bag and retrieved a magazine. He threw it so it landed on the grass in front of Cassie with the front page facing her.

The girl looked down at the picture. It showed her and Kai holding the county trophy they had recently won, both of them were smiling which was quite unusual for Kai.

"Considering you were trying to cover up your tracks; having your photo in most Beyblade magazines wasn't exactly a bright idea," stated Daren. "All we had to do was find where these _Bladebreakers_ came from and then we'd find you. I must say it was rather hurtful to find out you'd joined a new team so soon."

"Yeah well thanks to you I probably haven't got a team at all now."

"You could come back with us," suggested Daren.

"Wait a second... Did you do this on purpose? Portray me as a liar so the Bladebreakers wouldn't trust me and kick me off the team? And then you'd _conveniently_ offer me a place back on Team Twilight? Is that it? Is that what you wanted to happen?!"

"Maybe..."

"WHAT! I can't believe you Daren! Because of you Kai might never talk to me again!"

All of this was too much for the ebony haired girl to take; she ran into the night with tears streaming down her face.

"Jelena wait!" cried Daren, but she'd gone.

"Nice one Daren, now she'll never come back to us," muttered Samir.

"I think you'd better go; you've done enough damage here today," said Hilary as she walked up to the pine-green eyed boy.

"You're one to talk Hilary. You shouldn't have let her think this stupid fiasco would work."

"It would have done if you'd let her move on!"

"Oh yes, and forget about poor Ion! But hey I guess that's what you did about me isn't it?"

Hilary's eyes went wide. The boy then leaned in and whispered something in her ear; a fierce look came into Hilary's eyes as she slapped the boy across the face.

"Leave," she ordered in a deadly tone. "Now!"

"I think you should go," said Max as the rest of the Bladebreakers stepped forward.

"As you wish. Mika, Tariq, Tino, Samir – we're leaving. You can tell Jelena that the offer is now closed."

With that Team Twilight faded off into the woods.

"Well that was... interesting," said Max

"Hil are you ok? I've never seen you that mad before, except with me of course."

"I'm fine Ty, but I don't think Cassie will be... It must be pretty hard to comprehend that your best friend would want to ruin your life on purpose."

"Yeah I guess so..." agreed Rei. "Um Hilary... Why didn't you tell us about Cassie not really being Cassie?"

The brunette bit her lip.

"Well for one thing, Cassie wanted a new start. She was gonna tell you all the truth straight away, but I advised her against it."

"Why?" inquired Tyson.

"Because we thought you'd be weary of another champion beyblader after what happened with Zeo." Interrupted Kenny.

"Chief you knew too?"

"Yes but she didn't tell me initially. When I entered Patiere onto Dizzi's database, there was already an entry for Patiere. However it said its owner was someone called Jelena. I thought it was a clerical error but when I consulted Cassie and Hilary they told me everything. It was really my decision that Cassie shouldn't tell you guys, so don't go blaming her for that."

"Well I don't know about you guys but I wasn't going to anyway."

The other boys agreed with Rei.

"Well in that case I think we should try and find Cassie." Said Hilary

"What about Kai?"

"Max, Kai can look after himself. My main concern at the moment is Cassie."

"Ok Hil, well you lead the way."

After a little searching, the group found Cassie sitting under the bridge by the river. When Cassie saw them, she quickly dried the tears in her eyes.

"Have you been crying all the time?" asked Max.

"Uh-huh," sniffed the girl. "Sorry, I won't bother you anymore."

She got up to leave.

"Don't go, we're not angry with you," said Tyson.

"You're not?"

"No, why would we?" asked Rei

"But I didn't tell you the truth about me..."

"Hey everyone has secrets, yours is just a little bigger than usual."

The girl forced a smile onto her face.

"Thanks guys, but I don't think Kai will be as forgiving."

"Don't worry about Mr. Sourpuss. I never do..."

The girl chuckled at Tyson's bluntness.

"There's just one thing I'd like to know."

"Yes Kenny?"

"Well what do we call you now? Cassie or Jelena?"

* * *

That's the end of this chapter, I hope it all made sense to you. It was extra long to make up for the longer time you had to wait for me.

So now I'm giving you the chance to choose what Cassie/ Jelena should be called. Personally I'd keep it at Cassie, but if you guys really like the name Jelena then I will change it to that.

So please review and let me know. Don't forget if you have any queries about the story then just ask. I'll update as soon as I can.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	22. Reconciliation

Wow 11 reviews!!!! Thanks guys! Well you all seem to prefer the name Cassie so that's what I shall keep it as. By the way **Ilovecake2 **I went on holiday to the Canary Islands so that's why I couldn't update, and you were the 100th reviewer lol. Speaking of which I'm past 100 reviews yay! Thanks everyone for reviewing.

Here's the next chapter I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

**Chapter 22: Reconciliation**

No one had seen or heard from Kai over the past few days. The Bladebreakers, along with Cassie, continued to train as usual at Tyson's dojo. However things didn't seem quite right without their captain being there to put them through strenuous hours of training.

"I tried phoning him," explained Cassie. "But he never answers."

"This is beginning to get stupid... Rei even went to Kai's mansion but his butler said Kai _'wasn't available'_. Now Kai won't even see his best friend. I can understand why he wouldn't want to see Cassie, but what've we done?"

WHACK

"Oww! Hilary what was that for?"

"Tyson you always say the most inappropriate things! Cassie hasn't done anything wrong..."

"But I have," said Cassie sadly. "Hilary, Tyson's right – It's _my_ fault Kai's gone walk about. I lied to him and that's the worst thing I could have done in his books..."

"Cassie stop blaming yourself, we all forgave you so why shouldn't he?" said Max

"Yeah Kai's just being a jerk... A jerk that needs to be dealt with."

"Hilary where are you going?" asked Rei

"I'm gonna sort Kai out. He can't just abandon his team like this!"

The brunette stormed out of the dojo to find the two-toned hair captain. Hilary was on a mission, she was going to talk some sense into her stubborn friend and she knew just where to find him.

Past the park and the town streets she went, until she came to a grassy hill by a river. The hill was just on the edge of the city. Sure enough he was there.

The captain sat with his left leg bent upright and his right leg straight. His left arm was loosely draped over his left knee. He stared continuously onto the shining river that lay at the bottom of the hill.

Hilary approached him from behind; she'd guessed he'd sensed her presence because he tilted his head briefly to the side before returning his gaze back to the water.

The brunette sat down beside Kai. Neither spoke for a few minutes. Hilary was the one to break the silence.

"Kai we've missed you these past few days." She said softly.

"Hnn,"

"Cassie's especially missed you,"

"Hmph!"

The girl grit her teeth. Her captain wasn't exactly willing to talk was he?

"So where you been?" she continued

"Thinking,"

"Oh? What about?"

The boy glared at her.

"What do you think?" he replied sharply.

Hilary remained in a cool composure.

"Kai you shouldn't be mad at Cassie..."

"Don't you mean Jelena?" he sneered.

"Listen, you didn't hear the reason why she didn't tell you the truth about herself..."

"Hmph, and I suppose that makes it acceptable to tell the lies she did..."

"The only lie she told you was her name! The rest was just... withheld information she chose not to tell you. And don't you dare judge her on that matey 'cause there's still plenty of your past that you keep hidden!"

"That's different though!"

"How so? You don't even know the reason for her hiding everything..."

"Then tell me." He said blankly

"Uh?..."

Hilary had expected Kai to have taken more persuasion before he'd actually listen to Cassie's story. The blunette raised his eyebrow at the girl in front of him who seemed to be in a daze.

"Well? Are you gonna tell me or not?"

"Of course I am!" snapped Hilary "I'm just surprised you're so willing to listen. Anyway..."

And so Hilary began to explain all about Ion.

"So you see," concluded Hilary. "Cassie didn't want to deceive you at all, in fact she wanted to tell but I advised her not to."

"Why?"

"Because I thought you wouldn't accept her... reject her because she's a champion Beyblader. I know you've been weary of strangers, especially good bladers, since Zeo kind of betrayed us. And to be honest you kinda proved my point with your disappearing act since you've found out."

"Well what did you expect me to do? Welcome her with open arms?" replied Kai sarcastically.

"Kai! How can you be so cold?"

The boy raised an eyebrow and gave Hilary _'the look'_

"Ok, don't answer that. I already know you're a mean heartless loner," joked Hilary.

A small smirk appeared on the boys face.

"But seriously, please consider how upset Cassie is right now. I know you care about her... So please think about making up eh?"

At this last word Hilary left the captain to ponder about his decision.

* * *

The next day Tyson, Hilary, Rei, Max, Kenny and Cassie were all gathered in together in the dojo. Kai was still nowhere to be seen.

"I explained everything to him Cass; I guess Kai hasn't made his mind up yet."

"Or maybe he has Hil... Maybe he's left the team because of me!"

The Korean girl began to look very worried. The rest of the team exchanged nervous glances at each other. Cassie seemed to be getting more distressed by the minute.

"Cheer up Cassie," insisted Max, the girl forced a fake smile.

"Hey I know what we should all do to cheer us up," said Rei. "Lets all go to the park and get some ice-cream, it's a lovely day for it..."

It seemed like a reasonable idea so they all agreed to go. They began to leave the dojo, Cassie was the last to follow.

Just as she was about to go out of the front door someone grabbed her hand from behind. The grasp was firm but did not hurt her arm, although it did make her jump. Cassie whirled round to be met by a pair of crimson eyes. Kai.

"We need to talk." He said.

Cassie was too shocked to say anything so nodded in agreement. She followed Kai back into the main room in the dojo. They stood opposite each other briefly in silence.

"Hilary told me why you changed your name and why you didn't tell me you're the Korean Beyblade champion."

"I know." Replied the girl softly

"Cassie I thought we didn't have secrets between us. Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

"I was scared,"

"Scared? Of what?"

"Scared that if you knew the truth you'd reject me... as it turns out you did."

"I never did such a thing."

"You disappeared and wouldn't answer my calls – that's kinda seems like rejection to me..."

"I needed time to deal with all that information... It's quite a lot to take in that the person you're going out with isn't that person at all."

Cassie looked to the floor with a glum expression. Tears began to well up inside her eyes.

'_This is it,'_ she thought. _'He doesn't want me anymore'_

Kai continued to speak.

"However...Deep down you're still the same person I fell in love with, and nothing can change the way I feel..."

"What?" Cassie wasn't quite sure what he was implying and her face showed that.

Kai lifted her head up with his thumb.

"I love you Cass," he whispered. "I've missed not being with you these past few days."

"I've missed you too," whispered Cassie as a tear fell from her eye.

"Forgive me for being such a jerk?" he asked softly.

"Only if you forgive me for lying to you."

"Deal."

They both smiled and made up with a passionate kiss. When they'd finished they both promised not to withhold any secrets from each other ever again.

"Now that we're back together, nothing can break us apart," said Kai. "Nothing at all..."

* * *

Ok the end of this chapter was a bit mushy, but then again this is supposed to be a romantic story so I hope you didn't mind too much.

Well the next chapter is gonna be the start of the BIG story line for this fanfic. All the previous chapters have been there to build up and explain the background for this plot.

Hehe I'm looking forward to writing this next bit. I hope you'll like it too. To give you a clue... Team Twilight will return back into this story (there's your question answered **LunaRavenCroft**)

I'll update when I can. Please review it makes me happy!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	23. A Bientôt Team Twilight

Heya, well it's time for an update. Thanks for the reviews.

**puppalupp2008: **Glad you like it!

**beyblade-gal: **I agree romance is good, providing it isn't too sickening lol. You pick up on things well, yeah Kai and Daren don't like each other you'll see this a bit more clearly later on... and there will kind of be a love triangle but then again its not an extreme triangle... you'll see what I mean soon, I know it doesn't make a lot of sense at the moment!

**LunaRavenCroft: **Hehe wow you like it that much? I wasn't sure whether Kai went a little OOC here but hey if you like it then I'm happy. I guess he does have emotional side really.

**Bloody-Shadows: **Thank you for the review, I'm happy you like Cassie and Kai as a couple... shame that's not gonna last long – oops wasn't meant to say that, hush wreckless, your letting out all you have planned!

**Diamond Core: **Maybe you shouldn't read the review above if you like that they've made up... But I guess you will now that I've said that lol.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Hey you and Kai must share the same mind lol.

**Ilovecake2: **Only one review this time lol. Jolly good, yeah Kai can get emotional with some people, though I doubt he would with Tyson.

**Plushie Ray: **Well what will happen next is... As if I'd tell you straight away lol. All I will say is that you're on the right lines with everything. Just a little note - the tournament that Kai and Cassie won was only a minor county one, that wasn't the world championships or anything – that's a little clue to what possibly might happen, but you'll have to read on to find out more.

Now I know I said that the big plot will begin in this chapter, but I kinda forgot that I needed to add in this chapter first... so sorry about that. It does kind of have a bit of the big plot in... I hope you enjoy it! This chapter will probably be quite long too.

* * *

**Chapter 23: A Bientôt Team Twilight**

**- In Cassie's Room -**

KNOCK KNOCK

"Come in!" called Cassie as she looked up from her magazine.

A woman of Korean origin opened the door and handed the girl an envelope.

"This just came through the door - its addressed to you."

"Thanks Mum,"

As the girl began to open the letter she noticed her mother was still in her room.

"Mum do you have to watch me?"

"Sorry dear – I didn't realise it was a crime to stay in my own daughter's room... don't worry I'm going... I wouldn't like to intrude on your love letters."

Cassie shut the door once her mum had left.

"Parents!" she groaned.

The pretty girl flopped down on her bed, like Kai would send her a love letter! She thought about it briefly but dismissed the idea and continued to open the envelope. Inside was a long handwritten letter in Korean.

'_Uh-Oh' _she thought _'I know that handwriting.'_

The letter read like this:

_Dear Cassie,_

_Gee its kinda weird writing that as your name. Please don't screw up this letter straight away, let me explain myself first... I never meant to hurt you, really I didn't. Its just I got so concerned with getting you back on the team, I didn't even consider what you wanted. I hope I haven't mucked up your new life because if I did, I'd never forgive myself._

_We're leaving Japan tonight at 8pm, so you'll be able to get on with your life. It would be great if we could say goodbye in person, but I understand if you never want to see me again... Don't blame the rest of the team for what happened, it was entirely my fault._

_I truly am sorry. If we don't see each other again then so be it; I wouldn't blame you. I wish you all the happiness in the world Cassie, truly I do... You're a wonderful girl and beautiful person._

_I'll love you always,_

_Daren_

Cassie stared wide eyed for about a minute after reading this; she didn't know what to think. Sure Daren had almost ruined her life, but he seemed generally upset with his actions.

He was her best friend after all.

Cassie bit her lip. Could she forgive him?

* * *

**- At the Airport -**

"Flight 243 to South Korea is now boarding, will all passengers for this flight make their way to departure gate 9... Thank you."

"That's our call," said Samir as he stood up and stretched. "About time as well!"

"You can say that again!" joked Tino.

The rest of the team stood up and gathered together their belongings. One of the boys stood still and scanned the waiting lounge with his eyes. It was almost as if he was looking for something or someone in particular.

He didn't even notice the rest of his team had already begun to make their way to the boarding gate. Luckily a familiar voice brought him back to reality.

"Daren you coming?" asked Mika

"Huh? Oh right... Yeah, I'm coming."

"I err... I don't think she's gonna show up mate..."

"You're probably right, I just wanted to make sure she hadn't arrived," the boy sighed. "I guess I've mucked up big time with her."

"Lets just go home and leave her in peace eh? Come on."

Both the boys started to follow the rest of their team.

"Wait! Daren, wait!" cried a voice somewhere in the crowd.

The blond boy turned, his eyes widened in delight. A rather flustered Cassie made her way through the crowds of people that were in the waiting lounge.

Eventually she made her way to her old friend. She seemed a little out of breath as she hugged him.

"I thought you weren't gonna come," he whispered sadly as they broke apart.

"Sorry... Mum... being a moose... wouldn't... take... to airport... had to run... but didn't want... you to leave... without... saying goodbye... so sorry,"

"Its ok. I'm so happy you came."

They hugged again.

"Cassie I'm so sorry please forgive me."

"Its ok - I do. Daren I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have left without telling you where I was going,"

"Don't be silly, I understand totally... so we're friends now?"

"Of course!"

They ended their hug and smiled.

"I hope I didn't muck up everything too much," said Daren.

"Nah, everything's sorted itself out; me and Kai are back together too."

"Oh...Right, well that's good then..."

There was a brief awkward silence between the two friends. Daren shuffled from one foot to the other, like he was uncomfortable about something.

"...Cassie um..."

"Yeah..."

"...Well I guess you know that I'll always care about you, yeah?"

"I hope so, you _are_ my best friend..."

"I mean I'll always care about you in a deeper way than that... Do you know what I'm getting at?"

"I think I do... listen Daren,"

"No don't worry, I'm not gonna say anything like _'leave Kai for me'_ I just wanted you to know that's all... Do you love him?"

"... yes," whispered the girl. "And Kai loves me..."

"... well... then that's good... I'm happy for you, just be careful of him... I don't want you to get hurt..."

"Kai would never hurt me..."

"I believe you, it's just - there's something about him that makes me doubtful..."

"Well you needn't be. Daren don't be such a worry wart, I'm a big girl I can look after myself..."

"Oh I know that," smirked the blond boy.

"Err... I don't mean to break up the reunion or anything, but we need to catch out plane Daren." Interrupted Mika.

Cassie and Daren looked at each other sadly.

"I have to go," said the boy reluctantly as he hugged his friend a final time.

"I know,"

They broke away.

"Have a safe trip guys, and let me know when you get back yeah?"

"Will do, see ya soon,"

"Yeah bye, bye. Oh and say hi to my Dad for me please!"

The girl stood silently as she watched her old team board the plane that would take them to her homeland. She suddenly had a yearning to go with them back to her village.

But then she remembered her new life, and friends and Kai. No, she had made her decision; her life was now in Japan where it should remain for many years.

"Goodbye," she whispered. "It may be a while before we see each other again."

* * *

_**4 months later**_

**- At the dojo -**

Rei, Max, Tyson, Kenny and Hilary were in the main hall in Tyson's dojo as per usual. The blond American was absorbed in a practice battle with his best friend.

"Go Draciel!"

"Dragoon!"

Within seconds the green blade was knocked out of the ring.

"Oh yeah! I _am_ the champion!" cheered Tyson

"Hmm seems so," said Max cheerily.

"I am on fire! That's you and Rei that's I've beaten today Maxie! No one can stop me!"

"I beat I could... and Kai of course,"

"Huh?"

Tyson turned to the source of the voice and found Cassie standing in the door way.

"Oh Cassie it's you, where you been?"

"Sorry I'm late, it took me a bit longer than expected to walk here... Kai will be along in a little while; he said he had something to sort out first."

"That's ok Cassie, you didn't miss much – only Mr. Arrogant over here showing off." Whispered Hilary.

"Hey I heard that! It's not my fault I'm so talented!"

The two girls snickered.

"Well Tyson would you like to put that to the test?"

"Huh?"

"I bet you couldn't beat me..."

"Oh I could_ so_ take you,"

"Lets see shall we," replied the girl as she prepared her blade.

"3... 2... 1... Let It Rip!"

It would have been an understatement to say that Cassie beat the boy in a matter of minutes – it was more like seconds. Dragoon fell just short of Tyson's feet.

The boy screwed up his face and frowned.

"I believe that means I beat you Tyson," smirked the girl.

"Meh, it was a lucky shot!" replied Tyson airily.

The rest of the team smirked at their friend's stubbornness.

"Well I think it was a worthy win – you've really improved Cassie, how have you managed to get so powerful?" asked Rei

"I don't really know... I guess it must be because I'm always battling Kai, I had to get better so I could beat him,"

"You can beat Kai?" asked Kenny

"I usually do... but I'm not one for boasting,"

"Hey speak of the devil," interrupted Max as Kai walked in.

"Hi Kai," called Hilary

The boy looked up and acknowledged the rest of his team's existence. He then went and sat on the floor in the corner. Cassie went to join him.

"Heya handsome," she whispered. "You ok?"

"Mm"

For some reason, he didn't seem as if he was quite with it, almost as if he was deep in thought about something. It was then that Cassie noticed Kai was flicking an envelope he held between his fingers. She cocked her head to one side.

"What's that?" she asked.

This snapped the boy back to reality. Kai sighed and handed her the opened letter.

The girl gasped when she saw what was written on the front of the envelope.

'_To my obedient Grandson,'_

"Is- is that from who I think it is?" stuttered Cassie.

The boy nodded glumly.

"_Voltaire_." He replied darkly.

* * *

Ooo there's a kind of cliffie there, I hoped you like. You see it does have some of the big plot in – you might be able to guess what that plot might be...

I did think about merging this chapter and the next one together, but decided against it because it would have taken me ages to write and update.

So this will be it for today. I'll update as soon as I can. PLEASE REVIEW!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	24. From Russia with Love

Heya its me again. Well I feel kind of bad because I haven't updated in ages. I apologise for the time its taken for me to write this chapter, I've been really busy lately, so sorry guys! Also this site wouldn't let me update any sooner, this chapter could have been posted on Saturday otherwise, so sorry. Now to my loyal reviewers, thank you all for reviewing!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Yes I'm afraid it is him… Voltaire Muhahaha! Now I have to admit I have never seen his character in the show, nor Boris, so I'm going on what other writers have written about them. Its all because I started watching Beyblade half way through V-Force. They began showing the first series again but stopped it just before the gang got to Russia, how typical! Can't complain though because they put on G-Rev instead.

**Nakashima-Michiyo: **Heya welcome back! Glad you like my story

**Bloody-Shadows: **Yes well from what I gather Voltaire isn't a nice person. He's not gonna help to Kai and Cassie's relationship exactly lol.

**beyblade-gal: **I feel honoured that you all read my story. I think its only fair that my reviewers get a mention too, if it wasn't for people like you I wouldn't continue my story. So thank you for reviewing!

**LunaRavenCroft: **I love long reviews! Oh and I totally agree with you, most anime characters do have unsettled families don't they? I mean even if the character does have two parents they are usually divorced ie. Max. If not then one's either died or mysteriously disappeared. Some characters don't even have their parents mentioned, like Rei! Oh well I guess it makes their characters more developed, though it seems quite sad to me, but then again I had my own character's childhood be quite traumatic – it makes it far more interesting.

**Plushie Ray: **Their relationship will definitely get put to the test in this chapter, read on and you'll see.

**Ilovecake2: **Hey lots of reviews are fine by me! At least you do review and I'm happy you do. Don't worry Team Twilight will make another appearance soonish, that's why I called the last chapter 'A Bientôt Team Twilight', meaning: 'see you soon Team Twilight'. Oh and I'm very sorry I let you down about not reviewing when you thought I would have done.

**Rya: **Here's some more for you!

**puppalupp2008: **Voila, you're update as requested!

**RayeBBG: **Sorry its taken so long to update!

**archangel-warrior: **No, Voltaire hasn't been in my story before this, so your memory has served you well.

Now then as I've already mentioned to **Ms.SoUrPuSs, **I have never seen Voltaire's character, or Boris, in the show; so I'm going on what other writers have written about them. I would be grateful to anyone who does kind of know those two characters traits, to tell me how exactly they talk etc, because I really don't know. I'm guessing they talk quite roughly? Well let me know please if you have anything that you think would be useful to me, thank you.

Now on with this chapter, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts. I also do not technically own this chapter's title, so please do not sue me!

* * *

**Chapter 24: From Russia with Love**

"_Voltaire_." He replied darkly.

A deathly silence filled the dojo. Everyone turned to Kai.

"Did you just say…Voltaire?" asked Rei

Kai nodded glumly.

The rest of the team exchanged nervous glances to one another. Tyson even shivered when he remembered the last time he had met Voltaire.

"Why has he sent you a letter?" questioned Cassie

"Read it," replied the boy.

Cassie unfolded the letter and read it out loud.

_My obedient Kai,_

_I request your immediate return to Russia. Biovolt has found out, from reliable sources, that the next Beyblading World championships will begin in approximately 2 months time. This year the teams will be very different. Mr. Dickenson has decided that only regional teams will be competing. So I have entered the Demolition Boys into the tournament on behalf of Russia._

_You will be participating as a member of my team; Tala, Spencer and Brian have all agreed that you should be their captain. Training will begin in two days time; preparation is everything if we wish to win this year. I'm sure you know this already though._

_Boris and I look forward to your return. As you can see, I have enclosed your ferry ticket within the envelope. You leave Saturday, 9 o'clock sharp._

_Voltaire_

"Saturday?" said Cassie. "But that's tomorrow!"

"I know," replied Kai.

"Dude you're not going to go surely…"

"I have no choice Tyson,"

"Of course you have a choice Kai," interupted Hilary

"Yeah, I mean you don't have to accept his offer," said Max

"If my grandfather wants me to go… I have to."

"But why?!" exclaimed Cassie

"Family honour… I can't disobey my grandfather."

"Family!... Kai what kind of family sends someone to an abbey where they beat you!"

Cassie was practically shouting at her boyfriend.

"You don't understand Cassie…"

"I understand perfectly well…. Your grandfather treats you like a slave… _'I request your immediate return…'_ That's something you say in the army, not how a loving grandfather talks to his grandson…"

"SILENCE!" shouted Kai "Do not speak about things you don't understand!"

The rest of the team gasped in shock. Kai had never spoken to Cassie like that before. The girl seemed shocked herself; her eyes began to get very watery, and a few tears trickled down her cheek.

"I take it you're going back to Russia then," sniffed the girl

"If my grandfather requests me to do so, I have no choice…"

"But…"

"Cassie, in Russia family honour is everything… I have to do this, it wouldn't be right if I didn't obey him,"

"You can't leave me…"

Kai avoided making eye contact with Cassie.

"I'm sorry, there's nothing I can do about it,"

He turned and walked out of the front door.

"Kai wait!"

The Korean ran out of the front door to catch up with him. She came to a halt and looked around the court yard, but he was no where to be seen. The illusive Kai had vanished into thin air.

She could do nothing but clench her fists in anger and shut her eyes tightly to hide her grief.

* * *

A glum atmosphere hung around the dojo for the rest of that afternoon. Rei, Max and Kenny sat in a circle on the floor, not really talking much. Tyson and Hilary were a little offset, Tyson was leaning against the dojo wall and Hilary sat in front of him, with his head resting gently on her shoulder.

Cassie was still stood in the doorway. Her silhouette was dark against the sunny outside. She was in what the rest of the gang called 'a Kai pose', meaning she had her arms crossed, eyes shut and leaning against the doorframe.

She still seemed very upset, and the rest of the group didn't want to her to hear what they were saying. They spoke in very soft voices; unfortunately for them Cassie could still hear them.

"I can't believe Kai is gonna go back to Voltaire," whispered Rei

"Yeah doesn't he remember what happened last time we went to Russia?" added Tyson.

"Isn't Biovolt the reason Kai is… like he is?" asked Hilary

At this Cassie opened her eyes and listened in on the conversation.

"Yes, you see Kai was trained in Biovolt… their methods are highly unethical, they beat their bladers until they are perfect… Boris was especially fond of punishing weaker bladers – he creeps me out. I'm shivering just thinking about him!" murmured Kenny.

"Hush Kenny we don't want Cassie to get even more worried," hissed Hilary.

"Sorry, I forgot,"

"Man, I can't believe Kai's leaving Cassie here like this," muttered Max.

"You do realise I can hear what you're all saying," interrupted Cassie.

"You can? Oh, I… err – I,"

Cassie walked over to her friends.

"It's ok Max, no need to explain… I guess Kai just think more of his family than the rest of us do."

She shook her head sadly.

"He's gonna go back to that awful man, and there's nothing any one of us can do about it."

"Can't we persuade him not to go?" asked Hilary.

"I don't think he'll listen to us." Said Rei

"I guess we're gonna have to respect his decision," concluded Cassie.

"When does he leave again?" asked Tyson

"9 o'clock tomorrow," added Kenny.

There was a brief silence. Cassie sighed.

"I don't suppose Kai will show up for the rest of today… We'll all have to go down to the harbour tomorrow and see him off…"

Her eyes drifted off into space as she thought about her boyfriend leaving her. She looked down at the letter she had held in her hand since he'd given it her.

'_Letters always seem to bring bad news…'_ she thought sadly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kai was stood on his usual hill over looking the river. He shut his eyes as he let the warm sun shine brightly on his face. A small breeze began to blow gently causing his scarf to trail out behind him.

**- Kai's POV -**

Am I doing the right thing? Should I go back to Russia? I mean, I did hate it there… But Grandfather… He wants me to go back - I have to go… don't I? Family honour is everything… or is it? I mean should I really have to honour a family that treated me so badly?

But if I don't go, Boris will come after me… On the other hand, if I do go, he'll be waiting for me… I wonder what sick and twisted plans he has for me this time. Actually I'd rather not think about it… Hopefully they'll treat me with more respect this time; after all they did invite me to join… But that doesn't necessarily mean anything. I still can't believe that Tala agreed to give me leadership over the team…

The question is can I leave the Bladebreakers… They're like a family to me. Max, Rei, Kenny – they're like my brothers, I think I'd even miss the annoying Tyson! Then there's Cassie, can I leave her here? She's the most important thing to me – I don't want to hurt her… I love her so much… Its just I need to go back to Voltaire… I hope she'll understand…

Oh man I've just realised I never said goodbye to her! I can't leave without saying goodbye… can I? No that would break her… and me… Anyway they will probably come to the harbour tomorrow morning and see me off… I hope they do, I have something to give her.

So I've decided I'm leaving… I'm going back to Russia, my home land… and Voltaire.

* * *

Well I think I'll leave it there for today. I was gonna combine the next chapter with this but I think it's long enough on its own. Hope you liked it! I will try and update as soon as I can, it depends on how much homework I have though.

Please review

- Wreckless Spirit -


	25. Eternal Sunrise

Heya folks! Oh my goodness I haven't updated in ages! I'm so sorry, I have just been swamped with homework recently, its SO unfair. I've also had exams recently too, which doesn't help… oh well they should be over soon. Thank you to my reviewers for being so patient with me.

**puppalupp2008: **Its alright I only wondered if people knew anything knew about them, so thanks for the advice to look at other writers - it did help.

**Torri: **thank you for your review.

**Beyblade-gal: **You'll have to wait and see what happens… is their relationship strong enough to survive separation? Ps. I get annoyed when I forget to say things in reviews too!

**Tsunami-chaos: **Yay you do still read my story, I wasn't sure if you did – but you do! Glad you still like the story!

**Ilovecake2: **You are one of my loyalist reviewers, thank you so much for reviewing as often as you do, it really motivates me to write more. Thank you for the info and Voltaire and Boris, it was useful. Much appreciated.

**You/Kai fic fan: **Kai could be walking into a trap, or maybe Voltaire genially wants to have his grandson back in his company… not likely lol. Oh well your gonna have to keep reading to find out what happens next!

**Silver Wolf Of Cosmos: **Maybe she will… you will have to wait and see

**RayeBBG: **Glad you enjoyed it!

**archangel-warrior: **Lol, well cookies can make anyone feel better. Yeah it was a kinda sad chapter, wait till you read this one.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **And I'll keep on reviewing your story too. Kai's decision does seem a bit strange but as he says 'He doesn't have much choice.' Unless he wants Boris to come and find him…

**Diamond Core: **Wow your information was really useful, it will definitely help me with the next chapters. I happy you liked all the previous chapters, I hope you'll think the same of any future chapters.

**Draco-and-Hermione22: **Nope it definitely isn't good.

**Plushie Ray**It is sad, but this chapter is going to be sadder…

**LunaRavenCroft: **At least you did review in the end! I've been on that site before – it's really good aint it? Very, very helpful, thank you for suggesting it!

Ok I think that was everyone who reviewed, if I've missed you out then tell me, I'm sorry! Now onto the story, I hope you like it; after all it's taken like forever for me to write… It's not exceedingly long but I hope its good enough.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my own OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 25: Eternal Sunrise**

Seagulls called softly as the dawn chorus began. The sun lifted gently in the harbour to reveal a large ship that was bound for Russia that very morning. "Eternal Sunrise" was a three story, white cruise liner with a red rim around the middle deck.

Kai stood watching the attendants sort out the other passenger's luggage. He listened to the waves crashing against the harbour wall. Although it was a pleasant morning, there was still a strong sea breeze present. His scarf blew gently around him.

The teenage boy looked at his watch.

'_Almost 8.45am_,' thought Kai, '_15 minutes left of freedom before I need to board the ship…_'

His trail of thought was interrupted as he heard several footsteps approach him from behind. Swiftly Kai turned around to be greeted by the friendly, but sad faces of his friends. His eyes scanned all of them: Rei, Max, Tyson, Hilary, Kenny and……. Cassie.

She looked the most upset of all of them; her head hung low so that her hair covered her lilac eyes. A swell of guilt filled Kai's stomach.

Tyson looked at the two black bags that were on the floor either side of his captain.

"I take it you're leaving then," he whispered

Kai nodded solemnly.

None of the friends knew what to say. Rei stepped forward hesitantly.

"Well I guess we should say goodbye then,"

Kai nodded again.

"You will keep in touch yeah?" asked Max

The captain nodded a third time.

"Will you stop frigging nodding and say something!" shouted Hilary

Kai cocked his head to one side and smirked.

"You always were straight to the point Hil, you'll be the best one to take my place and yell at Tyson yeah?"

The entire group chuckled, except Tyson of course.

"Hey, I'm not that bad!" exclaimed Dragoon's master.

"Of course not…" replied the captain sarcastically.

For once in his life Kai actually laughed as did the rest of the team, but as soon as he made eye contact with Cassie, he stopped laughing. The Korean girl smiled sadly at him.

Without a moment passing, Kai took Cassie's hand and pulled her aside from the rest of the group.

They stared into each other's eyes momentarily first with love, and then with sadness.

"I don't want you to leave me…" she whispered

"I know… I don't want to go either…"

Cassie eyes lit up

"Then stay," she pleaded

"It's not that simple… I'll only be gone for a few months, just until the championships."

"I'll miss you too much though," she said sadly

"I'll miss you too… here I bought this for you,"

The blunette handed his girlfriend a small black box with a red ribbon tied around it. Cassie examined the box closely before opening it. Her eyes widened when she saw what was inside it.

On a velvet cushion lay a small necklace. This was no usual necklace. It had a sliver chain with the black half of the Yin Yang sign and it.

"Wow," breathed Cassie "It's beautiful."

"I thought you'd like it… Yours is the Yin, it represents moonlight. Yin is like woman…"

Kai pulled out a silver chain from around his neck, showing the white half of the symbol.

"Yang is like man… It represents sunlight; I thought we could have half each. Yin and Yang are supposed to be two halves of a whole, they are both connected. I thought this way we could always be connected… It sounds crazy I know."

"I think it's very sweet," replied Cassie with a smile. "Can you put mine on for me?"

"Sure thing," replied Kai

He secured the necklace around the girls neck. They both smiled. Then Cassie took hold of both pieces of the sacred Chinese symbol and fitted them together.

As the rest of the group watched the couple, they could have sworn that the necklace glowed purple when the two bits came together. Kai and Cassie looked down at the joined necklaces.

"Now we'll always be connected," whispered Kai

They kissed each other lovingly.

"I'll phone you when I arrive in Russia," he said "and write to you every day,"

"Promise?"

"Promise,"

They kissed again. When they stopped Kai looked at the attendants, they were waiting very patiently for him; he was the last of the passengers to board the ship.

"I better go," he sighed

The girl nodded as a tear fell from her eye.

"Hey don't cry," replied the boy as he wiped away her tears.

"I'm sorry, it's just I love you so much Kai, I can't imagine what it will be like not to see you everyday."

"I know its gonna be weird for me too. But I'll never stop loving you, you know that. And when ever we miss each other, we can just look at these necklaces and remember the good times, and think of the future when I come back to Japan. Plus you never know, I might see you at the tournament – if you enter…"

"I suppose so, but…"

Cassie was cut off by Kai's lips in a romantic kiss. They embraced briefly.

"No more tears," he whispered

"Deal, providing you phone me as soon as you arrive in Russia,"

"I promise… I really have to go now."

Once they had finished hugging, Kai turned around to the rest of the team. For once he actually smiled.

"I'm gonna miss you guys… look after Cass for me will ya? Make sure you keep to your training schedules; I don't want to come back and find you you've slacked off."

"We won't Kai," said Rei as he stepped forward. "Good luck in Russia,"

"Thanks,"

The blunette captain said goodbye to everyone before boarding the Eternal Sunrise. A booming horning echoed round the harbour as the ship pulled away. All of the other passengers appeared to be inside. Kai was the only one on deck. He stood at the front of the ship on the middle level.

The gang watched as the ship moved away, suddenly Cassie began running beside it the side and screaming hysterically.

"Kai, KAI! I love you, please come back to me soon! I won't be able to live with out you! Please don't leave me forever! Kai!"

The girl came to the end of the harbour walk; she could no longer chase the ship. Cassie fell to her knees in tears.

"Kai… don't leave," she sobbed,

The others ran to her side. She looked up as the ship went into the horizon.

"Don't go," she whispered.

Meanwhile Kai continued to look straight a head of the ship. He could hear Cassie calling him, but couldn't bring himself to see her in such a state. Instead he fixed his eyes on the horizon.

The boy didn't want his team to see the tear that fell down his cheek as he whispered.

"I love you too,"

* * *

Aww so that's the end of this chapter, once again I apologise for how long its taken to write… Fingers crossed the next one will be up pretty soon. As a pre-warning the next chapter will be short… Its not a chapter as such more of a fill in bit that's kinda necessary, it will make sense when I post it.

Please review because its my main reason to update as soon as possible. I don't want to keep you guys waiting for too long do I? I'll try and update soon. Ooo Christmas is only 8 days away! In the holiday I should be able to write a few chapters.

Well until the next update, seasons greetings!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	26. Broken Promises

Wow I've had like 17 reviews since I've updated last time! Thanks guys! I have read them all, so thank you to everyone who reviewed!

**Ilovecake2: **I'm sorry I just have to say this to you before I forget… I didn't even realise about giving the moonlight half of the necklace to Cassie because of her name. But when you said about it in your review I was like, "OMG I'd completely forgotten about her name!" So thank you for reminding me about that, you have a better memory than me lol!

Sorry I only have time to reply to one review… its either reply to reviews or write new chapter, I think you'll all agree you'd rather have the new chapter – but maybe I'm wrong.

This chapter is longer than I had planned, but its not very long, I hope its ok… Just a note, this chapter is set the same day as the previous one.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 26: Broken Promises**

Moonlight flooded through Cassie's window, and lit up the Korean girl as she lay on her bed clutching a picture frame. Her eyes were red as if she'd been crying. The odd sob could be heard from outside of her room.

A few silvery tears trickled down her cheek as she looked at the picture in her arms. They splashed onto the photo of her and Kai as they fell from her cheek.

"He's lying he must be," she sniffed. "Kai wouldn't say that…"

_**- Flashback -**_

It was getting late… Kai should have phoned ages ago to say he'd arrived in Russia. Cassie was beginning to get worried. All sorts of thoughts flooded through her mind. Maybe something had happened to the ship, maybe it hadn't got to Russia, maybe it had all been a trap!

Without haste Cassie grabbed the phoned and dialled the number Kai had given her. Voltaire's home phone number.

Carefully she pressed the numbers and waited patiently as the phone rang.

"The Hiwatari residence, who's speaking please?"

"Hi, err… this is Cassie Greendale. I was just wondering if Kai had arrived home yet. He said he'd phone me when he got home…"

"One moment please miss. Master Kai is busy at present, but Master Voltaire wishes to speak to you."

"Oh ok."

An eerie voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Err, hello Master Hiwatari, my name is Cassie I doubt Kai's mentioned me but…"

"Oh but he has,"

"He has?"

"Well yes… He told me if anyone by the name of Cassie should ask for him, I was to tell them that he no longer wishes to associate with them…"

"Wh- what does that mean?" replied Cassie who was no extremely confused.

"It means my dear… that my grandson does not wish to speak to you ever again"

Voltaire smirked as he heard a gasp on the other end of the phone.

"Y-You're lying," whispered Cassie.

"I can assure I'm not," answered the old man. "But if you want proof then Kai can tell you himself… it just so happens he's entered the room… Kai please tell this girl that you no longer wish to associate with her…"

There was a short pause, Cassie listened hard… she could have sworn she'd heard hushed low voices talking before Kai answered.

"Cassie?"

"Kai… what's going on? Why is your Grandfather telling me you don't want to know me anymore! Why didn't you call when you'd arrived in Russia? You promised you would…" By this point you could tell the girl was close to tears.

"Cassie… I…"

A low voice could be heard on Kai's end of the phone, followed by what sounded like Kai growling.

The boy sighed.

"Cassie… I don't… what my Voltaire said was correct… I can't keep in touch with you anymore…"

Cassie choked slightly.

"You can't?"

"Please it's… easier this way… for both of us…"

"How can you say that?" whispered the girl.

"I'm sorry, I can't do anything about it… it's not my fault, it's V…"

The phone hung up.

"Kai?.."

_**- End Flashback -**_

Since then, Cassie had been crying intensely. Her mother had tried to comfort her but it was no use. Nothing could console the girl.

Cassie looked to the moon; its silver glow seemed to ease her pain slightly. Carefully she placed the cherished photo face down on her wooden dresser. All of the crying had made her extremely tired. With once final sigh she fell into a peaceful sleep.

Her last thought was of the boy whole had promised to love her forever, but had already left her alone after only a few hours of separation.

* * *

Ahh that's actually more upsetting than I had planned. I didn't think this chapter would be a sad as this… I hope you all liked it though.

The next chapter probably won't be up for another few days because its Christmas tomorrow!!! Yay! I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New year if I don't update before then!

Thank you for all my reviews, I really do appreciate it! Keep reviewing!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	27. What Cassie did next

Heya well this chapter has taken longer than expected to write, mainly because I had writers block. I knew what I wanted to put down, but wasn't quite sure how to write it. I don't know how many times I've edited it, but let's just say it was a lot.

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a good New Year. Sorry its taken so long for the update.

Now to my reviewers, wow I've had over 200 reviews for this story so far!

**Kai's Little Angel: **Yeah I know it was quite a sad chapter, this is as well, but not as upsetting.

**puppalupp2008: **Glad you liked the chapter.

**Beyblade-gal: **I hope you all had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year.

**Bloody-Shadows: **You'll have to wait and see whether Kai made that decision by himself or whether he was influenced by his Grandfather. I'm not gonna say…

**Plushie Ray: **What a short review lol, oh well its better than no review at all. Hope you had a good Christmas.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Ermm Voltaire is Kai's Grandfather, not uncle, but I know what you mean. I hope you update your story soon, cause I really like it!

**Azn-V-Kai: **Yeah I suppose it was quite harsh that Kai had to break up with Cassie, but that's the way the story goes eh?

**Curiousgeorge: **You'll find out what Cassie does in this chapter, but won't find out about Kai for a while. Glad you like my story.

**Kimkizna: **Wow you read my whole story in one day! That's pretty impressive… Glad you liked it.

**Ilovecake2: **You just missed outon being reviewer 200; however you were the 199th and 201st so maybe that makes up for it lol. I agree with you outlook on Voltaire, he is very mean. I shan't confirm anything about why Kai doesn't want to talk to Cassie, because that would spoil the story, and we don't want that to happen do we? Thank you for reviewing :)

**You/Kai fic fan: **As I said to Ilovecake2, I won't say why Kai isn't talking to Cassie, but you're on the right lines. Hope you had a good Christmas and a Happy New Year.

**Kathleen: **Wow I have a new fan lol. I know I'm evil muhahahaha. Oh and I think the story will have a happy ending, so I hope that reassures you. Thank you for reviewing!

Now that's everyone who reviewed. So onto the story, this chapter is of average length, not too short or to long. I hope you like it and that it makes sense.

_I'd like to post this chapter in memory of those who died in the Tsunami on Boxing Day, my thoughts are with all the families who have lost someone._

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, only my OC's and their Bitbeasts are mine.

* * *

**  
Chapter 27: What Cassie did next**

The Bladebreakers were practicing in the Dojo courtyard as usual. It had been a week since Kai had left for Russia and no one had heard from Cassie since then either. Hilary had tried to phone, but Cassie had always been too upset to talk to her friend.

However no one knew why Cassie was so upset, they all presumed it was because she was missing Kai... They didn't know about the message from Voltaire.

During that week they had received a letter off Mr. Dickenson, confirming the world championships were to be held in two months time. Since then Max, Rei and Tyson had been training exceedingly hard.

Rei caught his blade after beating Tyson in a friendly practice match. Something caught his eye as he examined Driger. A smile crept onto his face as he waved to the person who had just entered the courtyard.

"Cassie!"

The girl seemed paler than usual… She smiled back - but it didn't have her usual sparkle; her smile seemed almost empty.

"Hey Cass, how are you?" asked Max,

She looked to the floor and sighed.

"I have something to tell you…" she said softly

"What's wrong?" questioned Kenny, by this time concerned for his friend.

"Oh no…Has something happened to Kai?" questioned Rei

You could see the pain in her eyes at just the mention of his name. She bit her lip.

"It's about him yeah…" she whispered

Everyone looked concerned by now.

"Is he ok?" asked Tyson

"Well I don't know…"

"What? Cassie you're not making sense… Is Kai ok?" said Hilary

"I don't know because he hasn't spoken to me since he left!" she blurted out

Everyone gasped in surprise.

"Wh-what do you mean Cassie..? What happened?" asked Max

After a short pause, Cassie painfully explained about the phone call to Kai on the night he arrived in Russia. She told them how cruelly Voltaire had spoken to her, and how Kai had ended their relationship. Her friends seemed shocked. The Korean was trying hard not to cry in front of the group.

"Oh Cassie that's awful," cried Hilary as she comforted her friend. "I can't believe Kai would say such a thing…"

"I don't believe he did," stated Rei. "Well not on his own accord at least."

"What do you mean Rei?"

"Well Max, think about it, Kai was totally in love with Cassie, there's now way he would ever chose to end their relationship…"

"Rei's got a point… Hey I bet Voltaire had something to do with it…"

"It doesn't really matter anymore," sniffed Cassie. "He hasn't contacted me… I've tried but he hasn't replied to my emails or anything…"

She glumly looked at the floor. Her friends weren't quite sure what to do. An awkward silence followed.

"Anyway… I- I just thought you should know that we are no longer going out… An- And there's something else I need to tell you."

Questioning eyes fell upon the girl. She sighed softly as she sat down on her knees. The girl looked at her hands that lay on her lap.

"Somehow – I don't know how – but Daren found out about Kai's departure… He emailed me yesterday, saying how sorry he was to hear the news…"

"I bet he was," mumbled Tyson, which earned him a sharp elbow from Hilary.

"Anyway… he's offered me my old place on Team Twilight, as captain,"

The gang seemed a little taken aback.

"Are you going to accept?" asked Max

"I've been thinking very hard about it Maxie… and I've come to a conclusion. You guys are my world and I would always want to do my best for the team. However now that Kai's gone, it doesn't feel right… He's hurt me for what ever reason and it pains me to be reminded of him, and every time I see you guys I think of him.

So you see I don't think I can continue to be on the Bladebreakers – I'd only let you guys down, and I'd never want to do that… So I've decided to return to Korea and my old team for the world championships… I'm sorry; I don't want you guys to feel I'm deserting you, it's just…"

"No need to explain Cassie, I think we all know what you mean," interrupted Rei

"Yeah, we understand that what's happened with Kai, can't be easy on you… As much as we want you to stay, we wouldn't want you to be unhappy."

"I agree with Max. We want what's best for you, even if it means leaving us for a while… We'll miss you though."

"I miss you too Hilary, I'll miss all of you… but I promise to stay in touch."

The girl rose to her feet.

"I guess I better go pack… Daren's booked my flight for two days time."

"Two days? But that's so soon,"

"I know Kenny, but I need to start training them as soon as possible… they've probably slacked off since I've left," smirked the girl.

"Haha, you're not going to be as hard on them as Kai is on us are you?" joked Tyson

Cassie smiled faulted slightly at Kai's name.

"Oh sorry I forgot…"

"It's ok Ty… Now then I best go pack; I'll see you all again before I leave. In fact I shall take you all out for a meal tomorrow, to say thank you for being wonderful team mates."

"You really don't have to do that for us," pointed out Rei

"I know but I want to, plus I don't think Tyson would miss out on a free meal..."

"Indeed I would not!" exclaimed Dragoon's master.

Cassie chuckled to herself.

'_I'm gonna miss them, that's for sure…'_ she thought

* * *

Cassie's remaining two days passed very quickly. Soon it was time for her to leave. It was a sad occasion, but at least they all had the fond memories of the previous night's meal to keep their spirits up.

The girl had taken her friends to a very posh restaurant; it seemed a good idea at the time. However Tyson had been very unimpressed with the size of the meal compared to the price of it, even though he wasn't the one who was paying for it. When the food was served, he had made a comment somewhere along the lines of,

"Is that it?"

To which a huge kafuffle between him, the waiter and chef followed. All of the other guests watch in amusement as the boy argued with the chef, much to the embarrassment of his friends. In the end the incident was resolved by a free meal in Tyson's favour.

As Cassie boarded the plane, she smiled to herself. As much as she would miss her friends she knew she had to leave Japan. She had to get away from the painful memories of Kai. Hopefully she would see the gang soon in the championships… Then it dawned on her that Kai would also be there.

Her heart ached momentarily. She reached to the pendant around her neck, she hadn't taken it off since Kai had given it her. Cassie touched the cold metal Yin sign. A shiver went up her spine.

Would she be able to face him if they had to battle… only time could tell. For now, she would concentrate on returning home. She gave a final wave to the Bladebreakers, her friends that would be eternally bound by friendship.

'_Goodbye Japan,'_ she thought _'Korea here I come'_

* * *

Well that's the end of this chapter, I hope you liked it. I'll try and update soon but can't guarantee how long the next one will take to write.

I'd appreciate it if you'd review; it lets me know what people think off the story. Thank you for reading.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	28. Wake up Little Man

Ok I really seem to be out of sync with the whole update thing. My minds been totally blank recently on what's gonna happen next. Personally I blame my exams for taking up my memory and time… but anyway here's the next chapter. I wasn't originally going to have this chapter, but I thought it would lighten up the story because it's been quite sad recently, so here's something a bit more spirit lifting. Now to my reviewers!

**Bloody-Shadows: **Lol yeah it was worth a try, I guess I'm just cruel to you all!

**Puppalupp2008: **I haven't decided for definite whether they will get back together yet… you'll have to wait and see.

**Plushie Ray: **I hope this next chapter will cheer you up then!

**Azn-V-Kai: **Glad you enjoyed it!

**Kathleen: **Ooo don't cry, I hope it wasn't that upsetting Oo This chapter won't be as sad hopefully, I'll be expecting your next review though lol

**Beyblade-gal: **Aww that's very sweet that you think that highly of me… err... I'm not very good at taking compliments so err… thank you. I'm glad you like the story that much!

**Curiousgeorge: **First thing, you have a very cool penname (I just had to say that lol). Second thing, thank you for reviewing it made me smile, keep those huge grins coming!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Hope you enjoy this chapter, please update your story soon too, you're keeping me in suspense!

**Ilovecake2: **hmm I hope my story is not to cliché then, well if you and others like it then who am I to complain eh? Grr you're really good at guessing what's going to happen next; I was gonna go straight to the tournament but I thought '_hey, you know what… I'm gonna put a surprise chapter in to fool all those psychic people who seem to know my every move._' Lol that sounds weird I know oh well!!

**lilstartwin93: **Ooo a new reviewer!! Yay! Now about the name…Well I didn't invent if off the top of me head if that's what you mean lol. Actually I found the name Jelena as I was searching through lists and lists of baby names online. I simply went onto a baby names website that had what each name meant, and looked for all the names that meant moon or star and up came Jelena… I thought it was the prettiest of all the names the search came up with, so that's why I picked it. So you want to use it in your fanfic eh? Hmm well sure you can, I mean my characters sort of staying with Cassie as her name now, so by all means use Jelena. Plus I don't on the name so I can't really say no can I? I would have sent you an email saying yes, but I don't think your address came up fully on the review so yer…Thank you for reviewing!

**Krage: **Thank you for reviewing, I appreciate it :)

This chapter is probably going to be long because there a lot to fit in, and I don't want to use another chapter for it to split in two… so yer that's why.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 28: Wake up Little man**

Birds chirped happily in the early hours of the morning as Cassie walked along the dusty path that would lead her to her village. Ideally she would have taken a taxi considering all the bags she was carrying, however no vehicle could travel along the only broken path that reached her village. Walking was the only form of transport the girl had available at that point in time. Unfortunately for her, there was still a distance before she'd reach her home.

'_Oh well, it will be good training for me,'_ panted the girl.

Eventually after struggling for the last mile, she entered the homely village that she'd missed so much. People were busying themselves with their daily chores. It was a primitive place; full of tradition. Many of the elders had spent all their lives within the same village. Only a few, mainly Cassie's family and Team Twilight had seen the rest of the world. Even trading between the nearest villages was a rarity.

"Cassie!" called a masculine voice.

The girl put her bags down and turned to see a friendly face rushing towards her.

"I've missed you so much" he said as they hugged

"I've… missed… you too… err… Daren you're…hugging too tight… I… I… can't… breath!"

"Oh gosh! Sorry," replied the boy sheepishly as he let go.

"It's ok," replied Cassie as she gasped for air.

"Hey look its Cassie!" called Tino as he ran up to her. She was shortly joined by Mika, Tariq and Samir. All greeted her with enthusiasm.

"Wow you came," shouted Tino

"Yeah, now Team Twilight's sure to win," cheered Mika

"Always thinking about winning aren't you?" jeered Samir

"Of course," smirked the boy

"Anyway, its greet to see you Jel- Cassie… heh still can't get used to your name, it might take me a while…"

"Its ok Tariq, I understand – it must be strange… It's so great to see you all again. You ready for some hard training?"

"What already?!" cried Mika somewhat alarmed

"Well you said you wanted to win…" smirked the girl

"Yeah but… but you've only just arrived – surely you need to unpack first…"

"True. But that doesn't stop you doing training, does it?"

The lavender haired boy paled slightly, which the others found hilarious. Tariq put him hand on Mika's shoulder.

"She messing with you mate… that's right isn't it Cass? You're not gonna make us train now, are you?"

The girl shook her head and laughed as she picked up her bags.

"I'm going to unpack and see Dad now… I'll let you boys decide on training,"

With that she walked off, chuckling to herself.

* * *

There was an emotional reunion for Cassie and her father. Although they had written frequently to one another they hadn't actually seen each over in several months.

Her father was a slender man, with tanned skin and long dark ebony hair tied into a pony tail. He wore a cream silk kimono lined with gold thread. His posture was very good and stood tall constantly. On first impressions, you would imagine him to be extremely well bred, with strict manners; but Cassie's father was one of the kindest, most gentle men in the village.

"It's good to see you my dear," welcomed the man as his daughter entered the hut.

"Daddy!" cried the girl as she rushed to her father's arms.

"Welcome home, how was you're flight? Did you enjoy Japan? I hear you joined a new team briefly… and that you got yourself a boyfriend, heh my little girl's growing up," chuckled her dad as he patted her on the head.

"_Dad_," replied the girl bashfully

"Sorry, sorry… So tell me everything there is to tell about Japan. I want to hear it all."

After the long talk about the happenings of Japan, their conversation turned to village life.

"… I can't believe they did that! Haha, I bet their mum wasn't pleased. Trust Tariq and Tino to do something like that!"

"Yes their mother wasn't very impressed… Speaking of parents, have you err…seen Ion's yet?"

Immediately the girl ceased laughing and fell into a deathly silence. She shook her head.

"No. I don't think they'd want to see me…"

"Oh but they do… Cassie they don't blame you for what happened,"

"Well they should," snapped Cassie. "It was my fault Ion's the way he is now… Has there been any improvement?"

"Not that I know off… but we _are_ still hopeful he'll recover… His friends visit him everyday to talk to him – the doctor said he can still hear us, and it should stimulate his brain to function again… maybe you should visit him, I know his parents would like that very much… Ion always thought the world of you…"

"Yeah and look where it got him," replied the girl glumly.

"Cassie! You have to forget what happened, you have to stop all of this feeling sorry for yourself and concentrate on helping Ion! I think you visiting him will help. Please consider it - even if you only stay for a bit."

The girl sighed; her dad was always the one to make her see sense. His powers of persuasion were… outstanding.

"Ok, ok! I'll go… I'd do anything to make him recover."

"Good girl, it's getting late now, off to bed with you. You can go see him first thing tomorrow morning."

* * *

The next morning, Cassie felt exceptionally queasy as she walked towards Ion's family hut. Luckily for her, she had the support of the rest of her team with her. She paused briefly at the front door.

"You ok?" asked Daren as he lay a hand on her shoulder.

Cassie took in a deep breath and nodded.

"Yeah, just a little nervous…"

The boys gave her a reassuring smile before entering the bamboo hut. Cassie was led into a small bedroom, where the young ice-blue haired boy lay peacefully in his bed. Her heart began to ache at the sight of her young friend in such a state.

Beside the bed sat a woman dressed in a pale blue, traditional dress. Her face lit up as she saw the girl enter. She got up and embraced the girl.

"Cassie it's so good to see you again my dear."

"You too M'arme."

"I'm glad you came, my dear, if anyone can wake my son, it will be you."

Cassie's smile wavered as she looked down at the boy.

"Has there been any change in Ion's condition?"

The mother shook her head sadly.

"No dear, but doctors are still hopeful… I'll leave you all now."

She took one final glance at her son before leaving the room.

The boys all began to crowd around the bed, however Cassie stayed somewhat behind the rest. She just stood at the end of the bed looking at the sleeping boy.

'_He looks so peaceful_,' she thought.

"Hey Ion you'll never guess what me and Tariq did last week" began Mika "… well we dressed up as monsters and waited under Tino's bed. Then in the middle of the night we started making noises, and shaking his bed."

"You should have heard him Ion! Tino was screaming like a little baby!" added Tariq. "Oh, and when we came out from the bed, Tino looked as if he'd wet his pants!"

"I DID NOT!" protested the little boy

"Oh yes you did little brother," remarked Tariq.

The conversation went on like that for the next two hours. During that time all had spoken to Ion, except for Cassie. She had remained silent, just watching her friends, they didn't comment on her quietness.

When the four boys got up to leave Cassie remained where she was.

"You staying here Cass?" asked Daren

"Yeah, just for a little while."

"Do you want us to stay?" asked Samir

"No, it's ok guys. Go on without me."

They nodded understandingly before leaving her alone with the boy. Cassie moved to the seat beside Ion's bed. Carefully she took hold of hid left hand and stroked it in a comforting manner.

"Oh Ion," she whispered. Tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I shouldn't have pushed you so hard… You only ever did your best, and that's what matters. If only I hadn't been so intent on winning, then you wouldn't be like this. It's all my fault… I'm so sorry Ion, please forgive me."

She stroked his cheek.

"Wake up little man… please wake up… you've got to…"

Cassie looked at the boy's face. He didn't react at all. A tear fell down her cheek.

"You always looked up to me as a big sister Ion. And I always treated you as my little brother. I always tried to protect you… I wish I could make you better right now, I wish I could make you wake up… I suppose I can only help in what way I can…"

She reached inside her pocket to produce a large moonstone. She gazed into its smooth, silvery texture.

"My grandma gave me this when I was ill, many years ago. Moonstones are supposed to have healing properties you see, they clear our minds… I'm going to leave it with you Ion… It made me get better; I hope it will with you too…"

Placing the gem on his bed, she wrapped Ion's fingers around the cold stone. She kissed him gently on the forehead before turning to leave.

"Please get better Ion. Please… for me."

* * *

Cassie was awoken early the next morning by a pounding on her front door.

"Cassie, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Sleepily she opened to door to be met by Daren.

"What is it Daren?" she asked with a sleepy yawn.

"It's Ion, you have to come quickly!" His voice sounded like it was very urgent.

After a very speedy change of clothing, the two ran to Ion's house. Daren wouldn't tell her what was wrong. Cassie feared the worst had happened to her young friend. When they arrived they went straight to the room, where Ion had previously been.

This time the room was far more crowded. The rest of Team Twilight were already there, Mika was still in his pyjamas. Ion's family were also present. People were blocking Cassie's view of the bed, but one thing that she could see was Ion's mum… crying.

The girl felt her heart sink.

All sense of reality became lost. Cassie suddenly felt dizzy and nauseous. But a reassuring hand on her shoulder brought her out of her trance. She looked up at her friend Darren. He was smiling.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"Ion…" she trailed off

"He wants to see you,"

"What?"

Hope rekindled in her heart.

"See for yourself,"

Daren gestured to the bed, all the other visitors parted so that Cassie could see an ice-blue haired boy sitting up chatting readily to his mother. Joy filled the girl. Ion looked up as Cassie gasped in surprise.

"Jelena!" he cried happily as he out spread his arms.

The girl ran and embraced him with all her might.

"Ion," she sniffed. "I thought you were…"

"Dead?"

She nodded sadly

"I saw your mother crying and thought the worst."

"Oh no, you should know I'm tougher than that Jelena," jeered the little boy

She laughed at her friend; he was certainly back to his usual self. His mother stepped forward; she still had tears in her eyes from happiness.

"Thank you Cassie for bringing back my little boy… I saw you give him the moonstone…"

Ion pulled a confused face.

"_Cassie_? This is _Jelena_ mama."

"Yes dear, but we call her Cassie now."

"You do?" he looked questioningly at his friend.

"Don't worry Ion, I'll explain everything to you later. It's err… _complicated_ you see. You've missed quite a lot during that lazy kip of yours"

The boy giggled as she began to tickle him, Daren shook his head with a chuckle.

'_Back to usual already,_' he thought

* * *

Later on that evening, Cassie sat alone on the hill that overlooked her village. She sat leaning against a tree stump, looking up at the millions of stars in the sky. The half-moon shone down on her.

Cassie smiled as she listened to all the crickets singing their night time chorus. She hadn't stopped smiling since Ion had woken up. A twig snapped behind her.

"_Hello Daren_," she said smugly.

"How could you tell it was me?" groaned the blonde boy.

"I know you too well,"

"Oh… mind if I join you?"

"Knock yourself out,"

He sat down beside her, and joined her at looking to the midnight sky, lit up by millions of tiny stars.

"I'm glad you came back Cassie." He mumbled softy after a while.

"Me too. It's good to be home."

"You're happier here?"

Cassie thought carefully about how to answer that question.

"…It's helping me forget about Kai… but I do miss the rest of the gang, I miss him too if I'm honest."

"You liked him a lot didn't you?"

"I did, and I thought he liked me…"

"Personally I thought there was something suspicious about him."

Cassie chuckled.

"Yeah I remember."

_**- Flashback -**_

"…Cassie um…" stuttered Daren

"Yeah…"

"…Well I guess you know that I'll always care about you, yeah?"

"I hope so, you _are_ my best friend…"

"I mean I'll always care about you in a deeper way than that… Do you know what I'm getting at?"

"I think I do… listen Daren,"

"No don't worry, I'm not gonna say anything like _'leave Kai for me'_ I just wanted you to know that's all… Do you love him?"

"… yes," whispered the girl. "And Kai loves me…"

"… well… then that's good… I'm happy for you, just be careful of him… I don't want you to get hurt…"

"Kai would never hurt me…"

"I believe you, it's just - there's something about him that makes me doubtful…"

"Well you needn't be. Daren don't be such a worry wart, I'm a big girl I can look after myself…"

_**- End Flashback -**_

"You were right about him," whispered Cassie

"Well I wish I wasn't… I hate to see you upset about him… If you ever need to talk I'll be more than willing to listen…"

"Thanks Daren. You've been so great to me."

"Hey what are friends for? Now I'm gonna get some sleep, we're starting training for the tournament tomorrow aren't we?"

"Yup, at seven."

"Right." He said as he stood up. "You coming back now?"

"I'll go back in a minute. I want to look at the stars for a bit longer."

"Ok well I'll see you tomorrow," he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "Sweet dreams my Shining light.

Once Cassie was alone again she began to think about everything that had happened recently.

Now, life seemed to be getting better… She no longer mourned for Kai as she did previously… Ion was recovering well… and her team were ready to support her when she needed them.

**- Cassie's POV -**

'Maybe things will get better after all. Now that Ion's better, I can totally focus on the tournament. I'm sure we can win, we just need some training… one thing's for sure, I won't push them like last time…

Watch out Kai, by the time the tournament's here I _will_ be ready to face you, and I certainly won't be lenient on you… I don't know the reasons for your actions, but I intend on finding out why you decided to hurt me.

You promised to love me forever… but you didn't. For now I'll concentrate on the tournament, but I will get to the bottom of this. I promise you that, and I _never_ break a promise…'

* * *

Wow, that's considerably more than I thought I'd write for this chapter. So you get a long one to read after all! I hope it wasn't too boring…

Now the next chapter will be the beginning of the tournament. I'm not sure how long it will be before I update, it all depends on how much free time I have.

Please review, to keep my creative inspiration flowing! Hope you enjoyed it!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	29. Look Straight Through Me

Heya, wow I had loads of reviews for the last chapter, cheer guys! Sorry its taken a while to write this chapter. It was a bit short originally so I had to find a way to make it longer. Now to my reviewers.

**Puppalupp2008: **Yeah Ion is cute, I'm glad he came across like that because I wanted him to be a sweet innocent character.

**Kathleen: **Cool you think I'm creative? Oh and Kai will sort of be in this next chapter, hope you like it.

**Ilovecake2: **Yep Ion's better! I'm glad you think Daren's a nice guy, I was worried that I'd made him seem nasty when he was first introduced. This chapter will be the start of the tournament, hope you like it!

**Curiousgeorge: **Hehe yay you like Cassie and you like this story. When people say they love it, it makes me feel so happy because this is my first fanfic and I'm so glad people like it. Thank you for reviewing.

**Azn-V-Kai: **You will find out what has happened to Kai in due time. I'll leave you in suspense for a little longer :P

**YoukoHieiLegolasGirl: **Glad you like the story. You will find out about Kai's actions very soon, though it might not be explained in this chapter.

**LunaRavenCroft: **Hey don't worry about not reviewing, I saw you AN on Spirits Within, so guessed that you might not have been able to review. Aww I'm glad you like the story that much! You're such a talented writer so you saying that I'm 'a gifted writer' means a lot to me. Thank you!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **You will find out about Kai soon, I promise. Glad you updated too!

**BabyBoo108: **I haven't mentioned Kai for a while because it will build up the suspense… I hope that makes sense. Enjoy the next chapter.

**Plushie Ray: **Yeah I'm sorry I haven't been updating as often. It all because of school and I've got a job now so that takes up more of my free time too. Sorry, I hope the chapters are worth waiting for though!

**Magz22: **Oh wow my story's an exception? That's so cool, I feel like… honoured. I hope you like this chapter too!

**Beyblade-gal: **Hehe I'm glad you feel so strongly about this story. Its my first ever fanfic so I'm dead chuffed that people like yourself regard it so highly. Hope you like this chapter too.

**Chosen-Of-Mana: **Well I've updated as soon as I could, hope you like it!

**Bunnyhugs: **Ooo a new reviewer cool. Glad you like this story.

**Diamond Core: **Yay you reviewed! And 3 times as well! I was beginning to think you weren't reading this story anymore, I'm so happy you are though. Your reviews are always so thorough, its really helpful for me. You shall see about Kai in this chapter, hope you'll like it. By the way, will you be updating your story soon? I'm wanna know what happens in it!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. Now I'll go onto the chapter. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 29: Look Straight Through Me**

After many months preparation the World Championships had arrived. A lot had happen since Cassie had left Japan. The Bladebreakers were no more. Both Rei and Max had decided to leave the team after Kai and Cassie's departure.

Max had returned to America to join his Mum's team the 'All Starz'; and Rei had gone back to his old team the 'White Tigers'. Being the only member left in Japan, Tyson had to find new team members. He was now part of the 'BBA Revolution' along with Zeo, Kenny (who had started to beyblade) and a new kid called Daichi.

This year the World Championships were being held in Europe. As per usual an opening ceremony had been arranged by Mr. Dickenson, to introduce all the competitors in the tournament.

"Welcome ladies and gentlemen to this year's Beyblade World Championships!" announced Jazz man.

Many coloured lasers lit up the darkened arena as they swept across the stadium floor. Music played loudly to build up the anticipation. The crowds were going mad!

"This is guaranteed to be one awesome tournament! Why, I can barely contain my excitement… Now then let's meet all the teams. Firstly let's give a big welcome to the home team 'The Majestics',"

A spotlight shone down onto the welcomed team. Johnny, Enrique, Robert and Oliver waved eagerly to the crowds.

"Next from China, we have the 'White Tigers'!"

Rei, Lee, Mariah and Kevin all smiled at their cheering fans.

"The 'All Starz' have come here all the way from America, so let's give them a big cheer as well!"

An eager looking Max looked even happier than usual along with his team mates Michael, Emily and Eddy.

"Now then folks, we have a new entry from Japan due to the split from the Bladebreakers… but don't worry, this new team still has the awesome world champion Tyson on its side! Let's welcome the 'BBA Revolution'!"

Tyson could be seen lapping up the attention, much to the annoyance of Hilary who stood along side Kenny, Zeo and the new kid. Daichi also seemed to be jealous of Tyson showing off, and insisted on the camera being on him, much to the amusement of the spectators.

"So far, we've seen three of the four members of the Bladebreakers on separate teams… so where's the fourth? Well I'll tell he's here folks, on the side of the Russian team, the 'Demolition Boys'.

Even more screams of fan girls could be heard as the spotlight rose to show Kai heading his new team. He stood in his usual pose, arms crossed, head down and eyes closed. Tala, Spencer and Brian stood close behind their captain.

Rei, Max and Tyson all exchanged glances to one another before looking at their old friend. Kai didn't even look at them, he remained with his eyes closed, until Cassie's team came on.

"The final team that will be entering this year's competition has come all the way from Korea. In Asia they are an exceedingly well recognised team with an outstanding reputation for winning every tournament they enter. Let's give it up for Team Twilight!"

As the light increased, Team Twilight walked purposefully onto their podium. Their whole team were in a white team strip. Cassie wore a white Chinese style dress lined with gold, the dress came just above her knees; she also wore knee high white heeled boots, her hair was down and swayed as she walked. The boys on her team, Daren, Mika and Tariq all wore a white buttoned top lined with gold, with Chinese style collar over white trouser (AN: like Brooklyn in g-rev).

Rei, Max and Tyson all stared in awe at Cassie, she looked amazing. Even Kai raised an eye at his ex-girlfriend… he hadn't seen her in over two months. Kai felt his heart beaten quicken, and butterflies went to his stomach.

"She looks hot," smirked Tala to his team mates.

Immediately Kai shot a death glare to the boy.

"Don't even _think_ about it," he growled

Cassie looked about the stadium, it was completely full with spectators. She looked at the other teams. Rei, Max and Tyson all gave her a welcoming smile which she returned. The she looked to Kai.

For a brief second they made eye contact, before Kai turned sharply to Tala. He seemed mad about something, but Cassie tried to concentrate on her team instead.

"This is gonna be one tough tournament guys," whispered the girl.

"Yeah, but we're ready for it Cass," answered Mika confidently

She smiled at her team's optimism. They had all trained exceptionally hard to prepare for this championship; she had been very impressed with their progress.

"Excuse me miss, but there's a letter for you," whispered one of the attendants.

He handed Cassie the white envelope. The girl opened it and read it as Mr. Dickenson was giving his welcome speech.

_Dear old friend,_

_It's so good to see you again; we can't wait for the tournament to start. Anyway we were thinking that it would be good to catch up with all the Bladebreakers again, for friendships sake. We'd love it if you could join us for lunch at the stadium café today, at 12.30pm._

_See you there hopefully,_

_Love_

_Tyson and Hilary_

Cassie smiled and looked up at the other teams. Rei, Max and Kai were also reading similar letters. The Korean girl turned to Hilary and nodded happily. Her friend smiled waved and smiled in return, before informing Tyson who stuck his thumbs up. Max and Rei also signalled that they were interested… Kai made no response, he simply shoved the letter into his pocket.

"What's that about?" whispered Darren as he indicated at the letter in his captain's hand.

"Just an invitation from an old friend," smiled the girl.

Once Mr. Dickenson had finished his speech, each team gave a small demonstration of their skills as bladers. Many did routines to music; others simply tried acrobatics with their blades. It was all very impressive.

* * *

Cassie made her way to the cafeteria after the opening ceremony. The cafeteria was to the side of the main entrance. It was a very large room, with a huge glass skyline. The walls were painted a pale blue colour, and various posters added variation and decoration.

As Cassie approached it, she could see Hilary, Tyson and Max were already waiting for the others to arrive. Rei turned up shortly after Cassie got there.

"Wow it's so great to see you all again,"

"I know what you mean Max, I've missed everyone so much!" replied Cassie

"So how are you all doing on your new teams?" asked Hilary

"It's great to be back on the White Tigers,"

"Being on my Mum's team is pretty cool too."

"Same here with Team Twilight… Tyson? How's BBA Revolution?"

"Oh it's all good. My team mates are ace… well except for maybe Daichi, he's kinda annoying… he eats almost everything in sight, and he's always saying how he's the best blader on the team."

"Oh really? That sounds familiar…" joked Max

"How do you mean Max?" asked the puzzled Dragoons leader

The others tried to contain their laughter.

"Erm what I think Maxie means, is that Daichi sounds very similar to you Tyson. I mean I was quite surprised that you two didn't get along, you have the same personalities after all!" commented Hilary

"I'm nothing like him!" protested the boy to his girlfriend.

"Sure you're not…"

"_Anyway_, the opening ceremony was excellent didn't you think. I thought it was cool how all the teams got to do a demonstration of their blading skills." Said Rei

"Yeah, oh man Cassie! Your team's display was awesome!" cried Tyson

"It wasn't _that_ great," laughed the Korean

"You kidding? Come on! There aren't many teams that can do an aerial star formation and then balance all four blades on top of a spike in one go, and then get them to return at exactly the same time!"

"I agree, that was pretty impressive stuff Cassie," added Kenny as he arrived at the table baring a tray of drinks.

"Heya Chief!" greeted Max, Rei and Cassie.

"Hi guys, sorry I'm a bit late, I was trying to alter my blade before our first match."

"Oh yeah Kenny, so we hear you've started to blade. How you enjoying it?"

"Well Rei its hard work, but its definitely fun… however I haven't actually battled for real yet, so you know."

"Wow so all the Bladebreakers are here now," said Max

"Well not everyone," added Tyson. "Kai hasn't shown up."

"Did you invite him?" asked Cassie

"Yes, and I know he got the invitation, cause I saw him open the letter at the ceremony."

"I guess he's not gonna show then…" sighed Max

Cassie suddenly felt glum, deep down she had hoped Kai would show up. At that moment she looked up and saw something that made her heart skip a beat.

Kai was walking towards the group of friends.

He was across the large room. Slowly but surely he was making his way determinedly through the crowds. Tala and Brian were following behind him, either side of the boy.

"He came," breathed Cassie.

Before the rest of the friends could say anything, the girl was out of her seat making her way ex-boyfriend.

"Kai! Kai!" she called as she made her way past the crowds of people.

Tyson, Rei, Max, Hilary and Kenny followed her closely, to greet their old friend.

Cassie stopped a short distance in front of the boy, so he could walk to her. She smiled brightly.

"It's great to see you Kai," she chirped happily.

The boy continued walking towards her. He glanced briefly at her with cold eyes before brushing past her.

"_Kai_?" whispered the puzzled girl.

Tala and Brian bumped into her as they passed. The red-haired Russian smirked at the upset looking girl.

Kai walked straight past the rest of his former team without giving them so much of a glance. His friends were gob smacked.

As she saw the one she loved walk silently away, Cassie sunk to the ground and began to cry gently. Hilary rushed over and hugged the girl.

"He didn't even say hello," sniffed the dark haired girl.

"Kai's never been a talkative one Cass,"

"But the way he looked at me… it was so cold. He's never been that way with me before. He looked straight through me."

"Don't cry Cassie, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by it. He probably just didn't see you." Replied Max, trying to comfort the girl.

"Didn't see her! Of course he saw her Max! She was standing in front of him!" fumed Tyson. "That so called _captain_ of ours was just too much of a coward to say anything to Cassie!... Well I'm not gonna stand for it! He's hurt you too much Cass,"

"You can't do anything Tyson," sobbed the gril

"Oh yes I can!"

"Please don't do anything stupid…" pleaded Hilary

"I'm just gonna sort him out Hil… Kai needs to know you can't leave people in tears like this!"

Without another word Tyson stormed off in the direction Kai went.

Rei, Max and Kenny all looked at each other anxiously… When Tyson got hold of Kai they knew it wasn't going to be pretty, but at that moment they were more concerned with their friend that was still crying on the floor.

"Come on Cassie, lets go clean you up," offered Rei

After helping the girl up, they led her to the BBA revolution team room where they could calm her down without being disturbed or watched by nosey bystanders. For now there was peace for the friends…. They just hoped Tyson wouldn't do anything stupid when he found Kai.

* * *

So that's the end of that chapter. What did you all think? Was it any good? It was a long chapter after all. I hope you liked it, because this is one of my favourite chapters so far, though the next one should be pretty good too.

Please review, I'll try to update soon.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	30. Burning Memories

Heya peeps, time for another update! Once again it's taken a while to write this chapter, but I do have a valid reason. I haven't been very well recently so I haven't been able to update. Anyways let's get onto my very patient reviewers.

**Beyblade-gal: **Wow about thirty times! That's a lot of reading, well glad you like it so much. I'll try to update faster in future; it will probably be once a week though. Hope that's fast enough for you.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Yeah I find the character of Kai can be very mean sometimes, of course that only makes it more fun to write lol.

**puppalupp2008: **Heya I was reading your profile earlier on (I read all my reviewers profiles if I can) and wow you're from Hawaii! That's so cool, I mean I didn't realise people from all over the world read my story. Only one thing though, on your profile you typed my story as "spirt of the black panther". Never mind though, I know what you meant!

**Azn-V-Kai: **You will have to see what happens…

**blade-luver: **I'm glad you liked this chapter. I have to say chapter 29 was one of my favourite chapters to write, although I've been looking forward to writing this one too. Enjoy!

**YoukoHieiLegolasGirl: **Yep I updated, I hope you like this update too.

**Babyboo108: **As I explained before I haven't been very well, so that's why I haven't been updating as often as I did before. I hope this means I don't have to be hit by your plastic hammer lol

**Ilovecake2: **Now where to start…. Firstly I apologise for the gril thing lol, I didn't even spot that when I checked the chapter over three times, there was something else I'd typed wrong as well, but no one picked that up thankfully. Actually, originally all chapter 29 was going to be was the café scene, but it wasn't very long and decided to put in the opening ceremony as an introduction to the tournament, glad you liked that. Yeah I'm thinking about the whole Kenny thing you mentioned… what sort of bitbeast do you think he should have? I like Tala too, he seems a cool guy, he should get a bigger part in this fic later on… but you will have to wait and see!

**Curiousgeorge: **I'm glad you liked the chapter and the story as a whole, thank you for reviewing!

**BunnyHugz: **You'll find out what happens to Tyson and Kai in this chapter… enjoy!

**KATHLEEN: **Heya you're lucky you get a reply to your review. I was about to update, but then I noticed I had a new review – yours! Thank you for reviewing.

Now let's get onto the story… It took me ages to come up with a title for this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 30: Burning Memories**

Tyson sprinted through the crowds of people in the BBA building as he tried desperately to catch up with Kai. There was no way he was going to let Kai get away with treating Cassie like this…

'_First he left her to return to Russia, then he broke her heart by not even bothering to call her and now he even has the cheek to completely blank her at the tournament… To think I even considered him as a worthy captain of my team! He's gonna pay when I get hold of him!' _thought Dragoon's master

Tyson came to a halt; he was now short of breath from all of the running.

'_Damm… lost him' _cursed the navy haired boy

Suddenly he heard a group of screaming fan girls across the large hall.

"We love you Kai!"

"Over here Tala!"

"Wow he smiled at me!"

"It wasn't you he was smiling at! It was me!"

'_Bingo'_ thought Tyson as he sprinted over to them.

He arrived just in time to see the end of a white scarf enter a hallway. In front of the entrance, a security guard was desperately trying to hold back the hoards of screaming fan girls.

As the boy tried to follow his old friend, another guard stepped in front of him.

"Sorry kid… only participants of the competition can go down there," replied the guard in a gruff voice.

"No problem. I'm Tyson Granger of the BBA Revolution," Tyson went to continue down the hallway but the guard put his arm out.

"Hang on… anyone could say they are a member of a team. I need ID as proof."

The boy was beginning to get agitated. Every second he was wasting with this stupid security guy, meant another second for him from reaching Kai. How could the guy not know who the Beyblade champion was! Quickly he shoved his security pass into the face of the guard, who shortly let him past.

A growl escaped the throat of the boy as he ran down the passage. There was no sign of Kai. Several doors lined the blue tunnel like hallway.

'_Maybe he's gone through one of them…'_ considered Dragoon's master.

It was then that he spotted a sign stating the training room and team rooms were straight ahead. Tyson was now certain Kai would have gone straight ahead. He increased his speed as ran down the corridor.

The passage opened up onto a large three story area. Tyson found himself on the bottom floor, around the edge of the room he could see the two balconies of two further stories circling above him. In the middle of the room was a glass wall parting.

It was relatively empty in the room apart from a few attendants that were tidying up and preparing for the tournaments to begin. Tyson looked straight ahead where he saw his captain about to go into a lift on the other side of the room.

"KAI!" shouted Tyson

Everyone, including Kai, stopped what they were doing and turned to the panting world champion.

"Kai… I think you have some explaining to do!" panted the boy

"He doesn't have to explain anything to you kid," retorted Tala

"Silence!" snapped the former Bladebreaker captain.

Tyson smirked

Kai went to leave the lift, but Tala put him arm out against the lift wall, preventing Kai from continuing.

"You not going to talk to him are you!" exclaimed the red haired boy

"Move," stated Kai simply

"But Boris said we had to train immediately!"

"That can wait… you carry on,"

"I don't think you should go Kai"

"Are you questioning my decision," growled the Russian

"Err no Kai… It's just, you know what Boris is like when you disobey him,"

Kai grunted as he pushed past him team mate.

"I'll make sure it's only me that gets punished," he muttered before the lift doors closed.

Slowly Kai walked towards an irritated looking Tyson. He stopped a few feet away from his former friend, folding his arms and closing his eyes.

"What do you want Tyson?" Kai sounded bored and irritated

Tyson clenched his fists.

"I want to know what gives you the right to treat Cassie like you have."

Kai raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know what you mean,"

"Oh yes you do Kai! You broke up with her out of the blue… and today you just ignored her… Do you know what that's done to her? You should see her Kai, she can't stop crying – all because of you!"

The Russian looked solemnly at the floor.

"I had no choice Tyson…"

"What?"

"Forget it, I've said too much already," Kai turned to leave. "Believe me Tyson, its best for everyone if you just drop the subject."

"Hey! Don't you dare turn your back on me Kai! I'm not leaving until I get some answers,"

Kai continued to walk to the lift.

"Oh that's it, walk away Kai… just like you always do! To think I even respected you as our leader, you're just a coward who can't face his own problems,"

Kai stopped and span round to face his cocky friend.

"You have no idea what you are talking about Tyson," growled Kai

"Oh really? Well Maybe you'd care to fill me in on why you left the girl you loved…"

Kai shut his eyes and looked away, he sighed in defeat. Tyson was always the persistent one of the team.

"I had to… they'd hurt her if I didn't,"

"Who?"

"Boris and Voltaire…"

"But why?"

"They want the Demolition Boys to win this tournament… no… _distractions_ were allowed… They said if I stayed in contact with any of you then they'd make sure that you'd never distract me again… I had to protect Cassie and the rest of you… breaking up with her was the only way I could make sure Voltaire wouldn't hurt any of you…"

"You could have told us that was the reason,"

"I tried to tell Cassie, the night she phoned, but Voltaire hung up the phone."

"Couldn't you have contacted us?"

"If Boris forbids you to do something, you make sure you don't disobey him… I learnt that lesson when I was young."

"But you're disobeying him now to speak to me…"

"Hmm and I'm sure I'll regret it… Listen Tyson, I'm sorry I hurt Cassie, it breaks me to know that… but please you must understand you can't contact me during the tournament, I don't want any of you to be in danger… Boris will stop at nothing,"

_**- Flashback -**_

Two men rummaged through Kai's bags. They took out any reminder of the Bladebreakers, including magazines with them on. These and photo's were put onto the raging fire in the main room.

Kai stood at the side watching with hatred in his eyes, another man had the boy's arms pinned behind his back so he couldn't move. The two toned haired boy glared at his grandfather who was sitting calmly, on a nearby armchair.

Boris was also in the room. He smirked at the obvious pain the boy was in. He tapped the framed picture in his hands. Casually he strolled up to the struggling boy.

"Now, now Kai, there's no point in trying to fight… you can't possibly win. I hope you understand mine and your Grandfather's actions… you see we want you to be the best, we can't allow you to have _any_ distractions."

He held the picture in front of the boy. It was a photo of Kai and Cassie in the park. One of the few where Kai was actually smiling; it was the only one that Boris hadn't burnt.

"Take a last look at her boy… it will be the last time you see her for a while."

Kai growled as Boris tossed the picture onto the fire. The evil man came closer to the boy.

"From now on, you are to make no contact with her or any of you other_ friends_. If you do, you will certainly regret it… we wouldn't want any… _accidents_ to happen to them now would we?"

Kai's eyes widened in fear.

"You wouldn't dare…" he spat

"Oh wouldn't I? Just remember the Abbey Kai… I can dare to do anything I want to achieve success."

"Yeah, I remember all the cowardly things you did."

"SILENCE!" shouted Boris as he slapped Kai around the face.

There was a quiet knock at the door, before it opened to reveal the Hiwatari butler. He looked concerned for the boy. Kai's head was drooped so that his hair hid his bruised face. The butler turned to Voltaire.

"Sorry to disturb you sir, but a Miss Greendale wishes to speak to master Kai…"

"Is that her?" asked Boris as he pointed to the burning photo.

Kai nodded solemnly.

"Tell her he is busy," answered Voltaire. "But I shall speak to her… its time to end her relationship with you, my grandson."

"Please don't Grandfather…" pleaded the boy

"Trust me Kai it's for your own good… this girl would only divert your attention from blading… and we can't have that happening, can we?"

Kai head dropped forward in defeat as his grandfather walked past. He thought this time, things might have been different if he returned to Russia. Oh how he was wrong.

Boris followed Voltaire, not forgetting to stop by Kai and whisper sinisterly,

"Welcome back to Russia boy,"

_**- End Flashback -**_

"I thought Boris had burnt all of the photos I had… but I found one, it must have fallen on the floor…" mumbled Kai

From inside of his top he pulled out a folded photo of him and Cassie inside the Dojo.

"I only have the photo and this to remember her by…"

Kai pulled out his Yang necklace.

"Boris doesn't know they exist, so he can't confiscate them from me…" he smirked as he placed back the two items back to their hidden spot.

"I never stopped thinking about her Tyson… but it pains me even more now that I've seen her but can't tell her why all of this has happened. Can you do me a favour?"

"_What?_" asked a suspicious Tyson

Something caught Kai's eyes as he looked up to the balcony behind Tyson. Without warning, Kai grabbed Tyson's T-shirt and span around so that Tyson was now pinned to the glass wall by Kai.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" exclaimed a shocked Tyson

"Keep your voice down…Boris is up there…" hissed Kai

Tyson looked up to see the evil man looking down on the two.

"Just act as if I'm threatening you," whispered Kai

Tyson nodded momentarily.

"How many times Tyson do I have to tell you? I've left your team for good!" shouted Kai

"Some captain you are!" retorted the boy

"Your team's not worthy of me…" snorted Kai. "Oh and I don't appreciate your pay-offs either,"

Kai thrust an envelope into Tyson's hand. A puzzled look came onto the world champion's face.

"_Play along_…" Kai hissed through gritted teeth.

"Oh, yeah well it would have been a waste of money if you'd accepted anyway!"

Kai lifted Tyson up by the shirt.

"Give Cassie the letter, it will explain everything… I've got to go now, I'm already in trouble. Sorry about the shirt… makes it look authentic," he whispered

Kai threw Tyson against the wall. Unfortunately for Tyson it was a little too authentic, and the groan he let out was with genuine hurt.

"Don't bother contacting me again Tyson and you can tell your pathetic friends that too!" sneered Kai as he walked into the lift that Tala had previously been in.

Before the doors closed Kai nodded to Tyson, who smirked back – Boris couldn't see this bit. When the doors shut, Tyson staggered to his feet. He let out a convincing yell of annoyance before glaring at Boris, who simply walked away smiling.

Tyson stormed off with a frown on his face… it turned into a smile as soon as he entered the corridor where he ran to tell his friends the news about Kai, and to give Cassie the letter that would hopefully mend her heart.

* * *

Wow that was quite a long chapter, but I got in everything I wanted to explain about. This has got to be one of my favourite chapters so far. Hope you're all happy you've finally found out what's happened to Kai since he's been in Russia. Well I suppose you only find out a bit of what happened… but anyway that will be all for now.

Hope you enjoyed it. Please review. I'll update when I can.

- Wreckless Spirit -


	31. Forever Friends

Hey there everyone. Thanks for reviewing so soon, it makes me feel happy that you guys like this story so much.

**LunaRavenCroft: **I doubt Voltaire's ever been in love, so he wouldn't understand would he? Hehe your review made me chuckle, thank you!

**YoukoHieiLegolasGirl: **Heya, I'm wondering about your name… are you a Lord of the Rings fan? Cause the Legolas in your name says to me that your are. If you are then great, I'm a MASSIVE LOTR fan, I love the films and books. Anyway, I was just wondering that's all lol.

**Azn-V-Kai: **Glad you think so, here's the update you wanted!

**Beyblade-gal: **Heya well this update was in less than a week, so I hope that's good enough for you!

**Wind Archer: **Thank you! I like really like your stories too -)

**Curiousgeorge: **Here's your update!

**Puppalupp: **Hehe glad it's sorted out. I always make typing errors when I'm tired too.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Your wish is my command. You shall find out exactly what Kai wrote in his letter to Cassie, in this chapter, enjoy.

**Chosen-Of-Mana: **I thought the acting thing was funny, a little humour for all of you lot.

**BunnyHugz: **All we can do is hope that they do come together in then end, but I think their relationship will have some problems to face in later chapters.

**Ilovecake2: **Yep Tyson's last name is Granger; at least I think it is… I'm sure it mentioned it in some of the episodes, either way most sites say it is too. I agree about the intelligent Bitbeast for Kenny, I'll have to think about that a bit more, thanks for the suggestions!

**Baby-boo108: (**Gawks at screen) Wow that's a lot of pleases… you like it that much? Here's an update for you -)

**Kathleen: **I'm happy you like my story, thanks for reviewing!

**Kimkizna: **No problem if you haven't reviewed recently, I'm glad to hear you still read this fic.

Now that's all the reviews dealt with I think. Let's move onto the story now, hope you all like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats.

* * *

**Chapter 31: Forever Friends**

Rei and Max exchanged worried glances as they looked down at the sobbing girl. Cassie hadn't stopped crying since the incident with Kai. She was now sat on a bench in one of the team rooms, with Hilary and Kenny trying to calm her down.

"Please stop crying Cassie, your going to make yourself sick," pleaded Hilary.

This plea had no effect; Cassie continued to weep for the boy she loved. Hilary got up and walked towards Rei and Max.

"She won't stop…" whispered the brunette sadly.

"I've never seen Cassie so upset before, it's even worse than when Kai left Japan," replied Max

"I don't know what's got into Kai," added Rei. "Sure he was cold… but he was never cruel before, he's changed - big style."

"You guys, I'm getting worried about Tyson… he's been gone for almost an hour now,"

"I'm sure he's fine Hil," answered Max

"Yeah, but I'm afraid of what he might do if he found Kai… he seemed so mad,"

"Don't worry Hilary, Tyson won't do anything stupid… he knows how strong Kai is,"

"But Tyson's stubborn, and you know that he won't be easily put off if he has his heart set on something… I hope he hasn't done anything to make things worse."

Just then the door burst open to reveal a very exhausted, panting Tyson.

"Tyson!" cried Hilary as she embraced her boyfriend. "Where have you been? You've been gone for ages!"

"Cool it Hil, I've just been with Kai that's all…"

Hilary's smile faltered, as did Rei and Max's.

"You found him then?" asked the brunette.

"Uh-huh,"

"What happened?"

"I didn't do anything stupid if that's what you're implying…" replied the boy cockily.

This caused Max and Rei to smirk.

"Tyson, why's your shirt all stretched?" continued Hilary

"Oh, that? Just some acting we had to do in front of Boris…"

"So what happened?" asked Max

"We talked, well Kai did actually… probably the most he's actually said to me in one go."

It was then that he noticed Cassie still crying on the bench. Her head was bent forward so that her long, black hair hid her face. Tyson looked to Hilary questioningly.

"She hasn't stopped crying since… you know…" whispered Hilary as she trailed off.

Tyson nodded understandingly, and walked over to the broken girl. Cassie on hearing footstep coming towards her looked down, and saw a pair of red and white trainers in front of her.

"Tyson?"

The boy crouched down beside her.

"The one and only," he replied with a smirk. "Hey have you been crying all the time?"

Cassie nodded sadly.

"Well I think its time you stopped," he said comfortingly

"What's the point?" sobbed Cassie. "Kai doesn't love me any more, everything's messed up."

"Oh but your wrong Cass,"

"What?"

"I confronted Kai, demanded to know why he's acting like such a jerk and ignored you."

"Oh,"

"He explained everything to me…It wasn't his fault Cass… he didn't wanna break up with you at all, Voltaire and Boris made him."

"They did? But why?"

"It's hard to explain… here Kai gave me this letter to give to you. He said it should explain everything."

Tyson handed Cassie a scrunched up envelope. The girl raised an eyebrow as she tried to unravel the crumpled letter.

"Heh, sorry about the state it's in… I kinda got a little carried about when Boris came,"

"I see…"

Cassie opened the letter. She went over to the corner of the room so she could read it in private. The letter was written on the back of a shopping list.

_Dear Cassie,_

_I hope you read this letter, though I wouldn't blame you if you didn't… I've treated you so badly recently. I'm sorry about the paper this is written on, Boris won't let us have paper – I'm not even supposed to write letters, but I'll risk the punishment, I owe you an explanation._

_Cassie I want you to know the truth. I didn't want to break up with you, after all why would I want to end the best thing that's ever happened to me? Boris and Voltaire made me; I had no choice in the matter._

_You see they don't want any of the Demolition Boys to have any, as Boris puts it, 'distractions'. At fist I said I wasn't going to obey them, but then they threatened to hurt you if I disobeyed them. I couldn't take that risk… you mean so much to me Cassie. I hope you understand._

_I'm forbidden to even see you… so if I ignore you at the tournament, that's why. If it was just me they'd hurt I'd do everything in my power to see you… but I don't want you, or any of the Bladebreakers to be in danger because of me._

_They are evil men Cass, I wish I'd never agreed to return to Russia. They burnt all my photos of us… luckily I managed to rescue one that they'd missed. Every night I think of you, wishing to be with you. The pendent is the only thing I have to remember you by… I've never taken it off._

_I love you so much Cassie. I hope you can forgive me. I never wanted to hurt you. Once the tournaments over things will be better, I promise – if you still want them to be of course. Please don't try and contact me until then, it's for your own protection. I've got to go now, Boris will be back soon._

_Love you always_

_Kai_

"Kai…" whispered Cassie as a tear fell down her cheek.

"You ok," asked Tyson as he put a hand on her shoulder.

"… He did it to protect us… he didn't want us to be in danger,"

"I know, he still loves you Cassie… its Boris that's responsible… he the only person Kai fears…"

"I hope Kai's ok," whispered Cassie

"He will be," replied Tyson softly. "Now no more tears ok?"

"No more tears." Smiled Cassie

The two turned to look at their friends, who's faces were plastered in curiosity. Tyson explained to the others what had happened in Russia.

"I knew Boris had something to do with it," growled Rei

"He shouldn't have gone back to them," added Hilary sadly. "Poor Kai,"

"We can't do anything now, Kai made me promise not to interfere," replied Tyson.

"I suppose all we can do is support him, if he needs our help," said Max thoughtfully.

All of them fell silent.

"The tournament starts tomorrow," sighed Cassie. "After today we're all going to opponents to one another."

"Yeah… It's gonna be tricky to battle friends, even if we are on different teams," answered Max.

"I just hope this tournament won't break friendships…" whispered Rei

"Well let's make sure it doesn't,"

"What do you mean Ty?" asked Max

"Lets make a pact… no matter what happens in the arena, no matter how the battles go… we shall all remain friends – forever."

"I like the sound of that," answered Kenny

"And me," replied Rei

"Yeah" added Cassie

"Count me in too," added Max

Tyson put out his hand, Max placed his on top, then Hilary, Cassie next, Rei after that and finally Kenny.

"Forever friends," smiled Tyson.

"Forever friends!" shouted all of them as they raised their hands in the air.

* * *

_**Meanwhile**_

Boris watched the group of friends on a small CCTV monitor.

'_So Kai, you think you can deceive me? It wasn't very wise of you to warn your little friends of my threat to you… no matter, this will not alter my plans. In fact it may indeed work out better this way…'_

Boris smirked evilly.

'_Soon you will regret that you ever went against my orders… Soon you will do exactly as I wish, unless you want an unfortunate… accident to happen.'_

* * *

Oooo cliffie, well sort of lol. I hope you all liked this chapter. Now you know what Kai's letter said!

I'll update as soon as I type out the next chapter, although I'm not quite sure what it will be about yet. I'll give you all the option to choose, should the next chapter be:

A) The start of the tournament matches

B) A bit on Cassie's feelings

C) A practice session with Boris and the Demolition Boys

What do you think? If you have any other suggestions or ideas, then do tell me. I'd like to know what you think, the next chapter is all up to you guys.

Please review

- Wreckless Spirit -


	32. Pathetic

Heya guys wow that's a major lot of reviews for this last chapter!

**LunaRavenCroft: **cringe that's a pretty awful image of a baby Boris lol. Well I really like your suggestion about the training thing. I haven't used it in this chapter, but I think I will later on in the tournament. Thanks for that idea!

**YoukoHieiLegolasGirl: **I have to say Legolas and Pippin are my favourites

**Beyblade-gal: **I've decided that the story will finish at the end of the tournament… you'll see why when it comes to it. I won't say anymore… but there might be a sequel, it depends what you guys think.

**Wind Archer: **I checked every time you updated lol. You've update your one story like 6 times since I last updated! Btw anyone who reads this response check out Wind Archer's stories they're great!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **No! Please! Not the HAMMERBurger! hides under nearby table

I promise I won't kill off Kai or Cassie…

**BloodyShadows: **Lol I'll see what I can do…

**Kimkizna: **Thank you for reviewing

**Diamond Core: **Aww thank you, I appreciate that a lot. I try my best to keep all of the characters as they are in the shows, I'm glad you like that. Yeah sometimes people portray Tyson in a bad light, but I think he's a decent character, he may be cocky but he does have a good heart. Your idea wasn't silly! A lot of people said a similar thing should happen in the next chapter, so I do what my reviewers request! Enjoy!

**Curiousgeorge: **I'm gonna have the next chapter the start of the tournament but thank you for your suggestion. You'll have to wait and see how powerful Cassie has got… she still has her good old moonstones to help her.

**Puppalupp: **Yup I like you suggestion, a few people thought the same, so this is what the chapter will be. Ooo I started this story after your birthday, cool!

**drooloverkai: **You shall fund out about Boris' plan in this chapter, hope you like it.

**BunnyHugz: **You wish is my command

**Kelly: **Well things might not be as good for our dear couple for long…

**Plushie Ray: **Aww sorry about the cliffies. I can assure you this chapter does not end with on. (I think)

**skyblue-tiger: **Thank you for reviewing… aww I like your name, mainly because I like tigers!

**Ilovecake2: **Naughty, naughty for getting grounded lol. Well cockily is a word, in fact it's the adverb of cocky, so that answers your question lol. I haven't used your suggestion this time, but I think I will for a later chapter – so your ideas won't go to waste! I'll put the Kenny bitbeast on hold until BBA Revolution battle, which won't for a few chapters. Thank you for reviewing! By the way, have you written any stories? If so let me know and I'll read them!

**Chosen-Of-Mana: **hehe everyone loves Tala! I think he's cool. Hope you like this chapter!

Now then I had a lot of suggestions from the poll on chapter 31. I've chosen the option that most people recommended, which was a combination of B and C… so that is what this chapter will be about. I hope you all like it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeasts!

* * *

**Chapter 32: Pathetic**

Boris banged a large cane on the hard floor, sending an echo around the room. The four Demolition Boys stood to attention inside of their private training area.

"Again!" cried Boris

"But Boris we've been training for six hours straight now…"

"Are you questioning my decision Tala?"

"Err no sir, its just…" the red head looked at his captain.

"We're tired," stated Kai coolly

"Tired? TIRED! Champions do NOT get tired boy!"

All four of the Demolition Boys flinched at Boris' yells. Even Kai seemed a little intimidated by the Russian coach.

"If you know what's good for you, you will repeat your training exercise now!" yelled the man.

Kai clenched his fists.

"You can't push us like you did before. We're no use to you if we have no energy to battle!" replied Kai

Boris strode up to the captain; he bent down so that their faces were inches apart.

"Do NOT tell me what I can and can not do Hiwatari…"

"I just did,"

"What?" Boris' eyes narrowed at the young captain.

Tala, Spencer and Brian gasped at Kai's bluntness. However the young Hiwatari seemed unfazed.

"You heard what I said Boris…"

"Do not push me boy," warned the man

"Or what? You'll beat us again? Like you did when we were young? Is that how you make yourself feel big again?"

"SILENCE" yelled Boris as he hit Kai, throwing the boy across the floor.

Kai groaned in pain, before staggering to his feet.

"I am responsible for my team Boris… I will not let you push us until we collapse," breathed Kai

"You don't have a say in anything Kai… I am your coach, your boss… what_ I_ say, _you_ do, got it?"

"I won't let you hurt my team mates… they need a rest… I need a rest…"

"Then you are all weak!" yelled Boris. "_Especially_ you Kai, you've grown feeble since leaving the Abbey…"

Kai growled at the man. If there was one thing he hated more than Boris, it would be someone daring to call him weak. Kai was far from weak.

"Now then, all of you get back to practicing! Or would you prefer a good punishment for disobeying me?"

Tala, Spencer and Brian all looked at one another, and then looked to their captain. Kai sighed in defeat.

"Tala with me… Brian, try and work out a new strategy with Spencer," barked the Russian boy.

A smirk crept across Boris' face.

'_Oh Kai, you haven't changed one bit… I know exactly how to make you do as I say…all it takes is a little persuasion and name calling,'_

Tala and Kai launched their blades simultaneously. While Dranzer and Wolborg encircled one another, Tala took the opportunity to thank his captain.

"Thanks for trying to stand up for us Kai,"

"Hnn,"

"Are you ok?.. Boris always seems to take his anger out on you…"

"I'm fine," snapped Kai

Tala decided not to pursue to matter any further, even though it was clear Kai was not alright. A large purple bruise had formed on Kai's left cheek, marking the place where Boris had hit him. It stung like hell, but Kai wasn't going to give Boris the satisfaction of letting him know that.

"Dranzer Flame Sabre!"

"Wolborg attack!"

The two bitbeast collided, mixing fire and ice. A gust of steam engulfed the two bladers. Once it had subsided, the two found Dranzer still spinning strongly – Wolborg had fallen.

"You win again," smirked Tala. "You've certainly grown stronger Kai."

Boris snorted in disgust.

"That was a pathetic victory Kai," he spat

Kai glared at the repulsive man.

"But sir… Kai's won every match, against all of us!"

Boris ignored the red haired boy and began to walk threateningly towards the captain.

"You're not putting all your effort into these battles Kai… I demand you take these practice sessions seriously…"

"Sir you're not listening, Kai always wins… in fact he's never lost…"

"Silence Tala! I know weakness when I see it… Wouldn't you agree Kai?"

Spencer and Brian turned to the commotion. Kai looked away.

"Answer me boy!"

"Yes," murmured the boy

"Now then, why aren't you practicing to your full potential? You are capable of far more…"

"I'm battling as hard as I can." Replied Kai in a cold tone.

This tone obviously annoyed Boris, as he grabbed Kai's face with one hand forcing the boy to look at him.

"See I don't think you are Kai, I know for a fact that you can do far more damage," hissed Boris. "You're holding back for some reason… I'm sure you just need persuading to work harder…"

Boris sensed the shocked stares of the rest of the Demolition Boys. He let go of Kai roughly, the boy rubbed his sore face.

"The rest of you get back to training!" Barked Boris. "I need to deal with your captain."

Kai's team looked at him with apprehension. They knew what damage Boris could do when someone needed to be 'dealt' with. Spencer looked like he wanted to say something, but Kai shook his head.

"_Don't_" mouthed Kai

"Follow me please Kai." Ordered Boris, the tone was far too cheerful for its sinister meaning.

Reluctantly the captain followed his coach out of the training arena, taking a last glance at his concerned team mates. Kai himself feared what Boris had in store for him. What would Boris favour today? Beatings? Starvation? Injections? Or would he just shout at him? Kai had been through them all. The boy prepared himself for the worst as Boris led him into a small sound proof room.

"_Strange_" thought Kai.

The room was empty, save a desk with a computer on it. No form of torture could be seen, usually there were various implements of pain hanging from the wall. Usually the rooms would have been stained with blood, if they were used for such purposes… but not a drop could be seen.

"_Maybe he's just going to shout at me this time_," thought the boy

He didn't mind this prospect so much… it was easy enough to block out Boris' yells… he simply thought about other things, such as Cassie. Blocking out the stench of Boris' breath was another matter, but it was still doable.

Boris locked the door after had Kai entered. The man walked over to the computer and turned it on.

"Now Kai, I believe that you are not blading to your maximum ability… Seeing as you seem unwilling to co operate with me, I will try another tactic to get you to obey me… Come and take a look at this please."

Slowly Kai approached the monitor. To his horror he saw a 4 CCTV images, each taking up a quarter of the screen. The images showed the dressing rooms of the White Tigers, BBA Revolution, The All Stars and Team Twilight. He could see all of his friends preparing for upcoming battles.

"Clever isn't it?" smirked Boris.

Kai made no reply… his vision was fixed upon the girl he cared so much for, Cassie. Unfortunately for Kai, his coach noticed this trance.

"Pretty thing isn't she?" asked Boris as he touched her image on the screen, disrupting Kai's thoughts.

Immediately Kai glared at the evil man… he knew Boris was up to something.

"I hear she's a good blader too…" continued the coach.

Definitely up to something.

"… Very powerful… she would be a good addition to the Demolition Boys…"

"Don't even think about it Boris," growled Kai

"My, my… you're exceedingly protective of her aren't you?"

Kai refused to reply, after all, Boris would only use it against him.

"We trained you to not reveal your emotions at the Abbey Kai… you seem to be out of practice with that…"

No reply.

"That letter you sent her, was certainly emotional… _very_ touching,"

Kai's eyes widened. Boris smirked at the startled boy.

"Yes, I know all about your warning to her and the rest of your pathetic friends… how noble of you Kai… did you seriously think I wouldn't find out?"

Kai's face saddened as he looked at his friends on the screen. His attempts at protecting them would probably have put them into even more danger. Kai mentally cursed to himself.

"Well Kai?"

"Well what?" replied the boy gruffly

"Did you think I was that stupid not to think you'd try something like this? You are far too predictable my dear boy."

A low growl escaped Kai's throat.

"Now I will get straight to the point… I need you to win this tournament Kai… if there is a hint, at any time, that you are not putting one hundred percent into your matches, it will be your little friends that suffer… not you."

"Leave them out of it," warned Kai.

"Or what? You'll make me sorry for my action? Don't be stupid child, there's no way you can win in this situation."

Boris turned to the screen and touched Cassie's image again.

"It would be such a shame if anything should happen to her… Don't you agree Kai?"

Anger was bubbling inside of Kai. He had to control himself not to try and kill the man there and then.

"If I win your stupid tournament… you are not to lay a finger on any of them, understand?" growled Kai through gritted teeth.

"I do… but here this boy, if I hear that you've tried to contact them in any way, my half of the bargain is off. Deal?"

Kai thought carefully before nodding in agreement.

"I knew you come to my understanding Kai… That was a very wise decision."

'_Like I had a choice'_ thought Kai sarcastically.

He looked at the image Cassie, her eyes showed sadness… she seemed to be deep in thought about something as she held Patiere in her lap.

Kai wished he could stay forever just watching her, but he was already being dragged out of the room by Boris.

"Now back to training boy! I want your full attention this time… tell the others to train exceptionally hard. After all, we want to win now, don't we?"

Kai noticed the evil hint in Boris' smirk…

* * *

Cassie sat on one of the benches in Team Twilight's dressing room. The rest of her team, Daren, Mika and Tariq, were all practicing in their private training area. She was to join them shortly.

The girl sighed softly as she looked at her purple blade.

**- Cassie's POV -**

I can't believe Kai risked everything to tell me the truth about Russia. He could get into so much trouble if Boris finds out about the letter… I hope Kai's ok. Oh I wish he hadn't gone to Russia now… I told him something like this would happen, but he didn't listen!

Why didn't he listen?

Perhaps he wanted to leave me for a while… no, that can't be it… can it? No, if that were true, then why would he bother with the letter? Unless… unless the letters a lie, just to confuse me or distract me from the tournament… could that be it?

Maybe Boris is behind this… Maybe he's the one who told Kai to write the letter, could that be it? But Tyson spoke to Kai, he said he seemed generally upset about leaving me… That couldn't be fake could it?

Oh I'm so confused write now! I don't know what to think. Does Kai still love me?

If the letter is a lie… then it's doing the trick in distracting me from the tournament. I really need to go practice… but it's so hard to if I'm thinking about other things…

Right! Cassie pull yourself together! Kai said not to worry about him, so I won't. I'll focus on the tournament, I owe that much to my team… what use is a captain if she's not completely committed to her team's best interests?

**- Normal POV -**

Cassie stood up and clenched her blade.

'_Team Twilight will win this tournament… we'll show everyone, especially that Boris that heart is better than strength when it come to blading. You can't force victory._'

With that last thought, Cassie went to join her team to train. It would be their last practice before their first match tomorrow and the start of a very intense World Championships.

* * *

Now then, time for my confession. In the last chapter I said Boris had a plan, and a lot of you wanted to know what that was… well if I'm honest… I don't know lol. I put in the plan because I thought it would add suspense and it has. The only problem is I don't know what Boris is planning… I have a few ideas of what it could be… its sort of mentioned in this chapter, but its not quite what I was after. I think it will just have to develop as I write this story, but if you have **any** suggestion then please let me know ok? Just remember it has to stay within the tournament.

The next chapter will be the start of the championships ok? I hope you all liked this chapter. I'll update as soon as I write the next instalment. If you have any questions or ideas then let me know, thank you.

Please Review!

- Wreckless Spirit -


	33. Pride comes before a fall

Heya, well sorry for the long wait, to be honest I've had a bit of writers' block with this chapter. I know where I want the story to go but I'm not exactly sure how to get there… if that makes sense?

I've also been really busy with school lately and I've been ill too which hasn't helped matters. So please forgive me!

Now to my reviewers. A lot of you seemed to like the idea of Boris using Cassie for something bad, which I must say is good. Some of you even mentioned her becoming part of the Demolition Boys, which I also like, but it wouldn't be possible to use in this story, as it wouldn't fit in with the ending I have planned. So I'll just wait and see what comes to me think… thanks for the suggestions though they really helped.

**Wind Archer:** It's a shame to hear that Book of Dreams got deleted, I really liked that story. You can tell I'm way behind with updating because you've managed to finish Trust Me, and start its sequel, which I must say is excellent!

**BloodyShadows: **I'll see what I can do about the slow and painful death…

**Chosen-Of-Mana: **Heya, hmm I like that idea, I might well use that later on. Thank you for the suggestion.

**LunaRavenCroft: **Indeedy I did know what the Yin and Yang part of the necklace represented, I did mention it when Kai gave Cassie the necklace, but I don't expect everyone remembered that lol. I didn't know all of that info on Moonstones though, I'd researched that it had healing qualities because that's the reason Cassie gave it to Ion to help him recover, but I didn't know its exact aid. Thanks for all the info and for reviewing twice lol.

**puppalupp2008: **Heya thank for reviewing I'm sorry the update took so long.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **I feel bad for Kai too, but I think things will get far worse for him…

**Plushie Ray: **Hmm I don't think I will be using your idea, its an interesting concept but it wouldn't fit into the ending I had planned, sorry.

**ILovecake2: **Well I took your advice of not putting down any old rubbish for the next chapter… but I still feel it's a bit lame, I hope its ok. Thank you for all the positive feedback. Oh and I'm sure you'd be a good writer, you seem to have a lot of great ideas!

**Diamond Core: **Heya thanks for the really long review, your comments are always welcomed! I'm glad you like the story so far… I hope this chapter won't spoil it!

**Ali: **Wow you read the whole of my story in a day? That's quote an achievement – its so long! Aww thank you for saying it's the best story you've ever read, that's really sweet.

**skyblue-tiger**Sorry for the long update

**Kimkizna: **Glad you liked the chapter!

**Eternal Wishes: **You'll have to wait and see…

**Babyboo108: **I know, I know, I stopped writing… I'm very sorry, please forgive me.

**emotionless bastard: **Heya I read your story, its good. Keep writing!

**don'tmesswithbec: **Hehe I'm glad you like my story, thank you for reviewing!

Well that's all of the reviewers dealt with, all you people who read my fic and don't review are mean! Only joking lol. There's no law to say you must review, it's just nice to know if people do read my story.

Anyways, considering it's been over a month since I last updated gasp in shock I get straight onto the story! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats

* * *

**Chapter 33: Pride comes before a fall**

Cassie sat by her hotel window, looking out at the moon. It seemed to shine brightly tonight. One leg was draped off her bed whilst the other was up so she could lean on it.

She often found herself gazing towards the moon when she was deep in thought. Images of the previous days match flashed through her mind.

_- Flashback -_

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, so the first match has finally arrived… I'm sure it's gonna be totally awesome!" cheered Jazz Man

"This year the rules for battling will be slightly different, each match will be a best of three, with different bladers from each team to play each battle. Another additional rule is that the two captains will automatically battle each other if they are chosen to play. For instance the captain of team A would battle the captain of team B.

Alright now that, that is over and done with let's meet today's opponents. First up is our home team from Europe the Majestics, with Robert as their captain and Oliver as their reserve. And facing them is the relatively unknown team of Team Twilight. Let's give it up for Cassie, Daren, Mika and their reserve Tariq."

The crowds went wild as the four bladers walked into the stadium.

"Now folks let's not underestimate their captain Cassie, she may look harmless but she's one mean blader as we saw when she briefly joined the Japanese Bladebreakers."

Cassie took in a deep breath as she sat down on her team's bench.

"Ready guys?" she asked

"Of course" replied the boys confidently

"So Cass, who's up first?" enquired Tariq

"Daren will be, if that's ok with you lot?"

"Fine by me," smirked Daren. "It would be good to get our first victory underway…"

Meanwhile, team Majestic were discussing their own line up.

"Gee Robert, it's not fair you get to battle someone so gorgeous!"

"Enrique, are girl's the only thing you think about?" laughed Oliver

"… I think about blading too… sometimes."

The rest of their team sweat dropped.

"Enrique, you're up first and I suggest you stay focused and keep you eyes to yourself and not on the enemy's captain." Sighed Robert, causing the rest of the team to snigger.

The blonde boy mumbled something quietly before making his way to the arena. Daren was already waiting patiently for his challenger to arrive.

"Ready bladers, on my mark…" Yelled Jazz Man. "… 3… 2… 1!"

"Go Amphilyon!"

"Go Kamaria!"

An intense battle soon followed with neither competitor looking particularly stronger than the other. However about half way through the match Daren noticed that Enrique's eyes kept flickering towards Team Twilight's bench.

The Koreans eyes narrowed when he realised exactly who the boy was staring at.

"Keep your eyes off Cassie!" snapped Daren

"Oh? And why's that? Afraid of some competition?..." sneered Enrique. "Though I'm sure she's a worthy prize…"

Unfortunately for Enrique he never knew that, that was not a very wise thing to say to his opponent. The remark caused Daren to channel all of his anger into his bitbeast and the match was soon over, with him as the victor. No one knew he was so protective over his beast friend.

Still in a state of shock, Enrique returned to his team. Robert was least than impressed.

"What did I tell you? I told you to stay focused, not wind up our opposition!"

"Yeah well I didn't think he'd react like that… they're stronger than they look, don't underestimate them Robert… Especially the girl, I bet she's just as tough."

"Pha! Like a girl could beat me!" jeered the captain as he strode up for the next match.

People often say pride come before a fall, and in Robert's case, that was true. Griffolyon barely got a chance to attack before Patiere made a deadly assault that resulted in Robert's blade being knocked out of the stadium.

"Wow folks now that's what I call skill," shouted Jazz Man. "This victory means Team Twilight has won the best of three, bringing them one step closer to the finals! Don't go anywhere folks because next up will be the Demolition Boys against the All Stars!"

_- End Flashback -_

Cassie's eyes narrowed. She had stayed to watch that battle. Kai had certainly grown stronger; Dranzer had completely trashed Draciel.

'_Poor Max,'_ she thought. _'It must have been hard to battle your old captain first, at least I didn't know my opponent…'_

Cassie's thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her hotel door.

"Come in," she called softly.

A familiar ice-blue haired boy bounced into the room followed by a slightly more laid back blonde boy.

The girl's eyes lit up.

"Ion!"

"Cassie! Wow you were so awesome today, you totally owned that Robert guy! Ha he thought he's beat you but you showed him! Patiere was moving so fast, Griffolyon didn't know what hit him. It was like attack, pow! Attack, bang! Attack…"

"Whoa there little buddy, slow down," smiled Daren as he scooped up the small boy

"Hey let me down!" chuckled the small boy.

"Isn't it a bit past your bed time Ion?" Smirked Cassie

"Well… yes, but I only came in to say great battle,"

"Thank you, now off to bed with you. I don't want to get in trouble with your mother for letting you stay up too late."

The little boy stuck his tongue out cheekily before running off to bed. Daren shook his head in amusement as he closed the door so that only he and Cassie were left in the room.

Cassie gazed back to the moon. Her friend looked at her with concerned eyes.

"You ok?" he asked softly.

"Yeah, why?"

"Nothing really, it's just you've been alone in here since we came back from the tournament."

"I've been thinking that's all," sighed the girl

"About the tournament?"

"Yeah… It's just dawned on me how tough it's gonna be to battle my friends… especially Kai, you saw what happened when he battled Max…"

"Kai's ruthless when he battles," muttered the boy

"That's just his fighting style… We're the same when we battle… I just hope I have it in me when I face him…"

"You will Cass, I'm sure of it… Anyway, I'm off to bed… Don't stay up too late."

"I won't, night Daren,"

"Sleep tight Cass."

Cassie found herself alone in her room once more. Sighing softly, she reached to her neck and pulled out her Yin pendent. It shone gently in the moonlight. A smile crept upon her face as an image of the boy she loved crept into her mind.

"Oh Kai," she whispered. "I hope I have enough strength to fight you,"

She clenched her necklace tightly as a tear fell down her cheek. No one knew how badly she missed Kai, it tore her up every time she thought of him. As the tear hit her necklace it glowed slightly, however Cassie was too deep in thought to notice.

* * *

Meanwhile Kai was busily training Dranzer, when grief suddenly struck him. He clenched his aching heart, confused by the sudden rush of emotions. Feelings of guilt, of sadness, of a missed love one, the feelings were so strong.

His head began to spin - he felt dizzy. His breathing increased. Kai sunk to his knees, an image of Cassie flooded his mind and tears began to well up in his eyes.

'_What's going on?' _thought Kai

It was then that he grasped his Yang necklace. Checking quickly that none of his team were around first, he pulled his part of the pendant out from his shirt. His eyes widened as he saw it briefly glow a purple sheen, but the glow vanished just as quickly as it had appeared.

Immediately the confusing emotions disappeared. Kai sat on the floor, panting whilst still looking at the Yang sign.

'_Ok…What just happened?'_

* * *

Ok well that's the end for that chapter, I hope it was ok. I still feel it was a bit lame. Hopefully the plot will get better. I'm sorry if you didn't like that chapter. I'll update when I can.

Please review

Wreckless Spirit -


	34. Wings of Fire

Hey guys! Wow I'm SO sorry it has taken this long to write a chapter, its been over a month! I've had such a dilemma thinking how to end this story… and writers block had really taken over, hence why I started that my other story "Secret Desire". Anyways I hope you all forgive me!

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Wow cool name Luna, I'm liking it ;) I hope you don't think this story is getting lame, I'm not very confident with it at the moment. Oh and I'm sorry I couldn't review all of your stories, but I assure you I have read every one of your updates!

**BloodyShadows: **I'm happy you like the whole pendant thing, I've tried my best to weave it in through the story because it will have great significance at the end…

**Wind Archer: **Oh dear and you've had to wait even longer for this update! I'm so sorry, hope you enjoy it… oh and your stories rock :)

**Ilovecake2: **Heya, thanks for all your support; it was your second review that motivated me to think of something to write. It's ridiculous because I've had so much worse from school recently, I had no time for writing my stories! Anyways this is the chapter I've eventually decided should be next. However the one after this, well that's another problem which I've mentioned at the bottom of the chapter. I'd be grateful for any ideas if you have them. Thanks for reviewing!

**babii-kitti: **A million thumbs up! Wow thanks! That's a lot a thumbs lol

**Beyblade-gal: **Yeah you do sound like grandpa lol, well sorry this chapter has taken a LONG time to be posted, I've had really bad writer block…

**Ali: **Glad you liked the chapter, I had to tie in the necklaces somehow; seems lots of people like it though. Thanks for reviewing

**You/Kai fic fan: **Aww that's sweet of you to say I have talent. I so know what you mean about school work, I've got exams coming up and they're just piling on the homework! Don't know when they expect us to do revision!

**Shakena: **Here's the update!

**BunnyHugz: **You'll have to wait and see if they do get back together…

**puppalupp2008: **Sorry this update wasn't exactly soon, bit I hope you'll still like it!

**Curiousgeorge: **Glad you like the story

**don'tmesswithbec: **I hope this chapter will live up to your expectation!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Indeedy they connected! Yay I'm glad you said you can picture this story on TV, cause that's how I write, I try to imagine the pictures as if they were on TV – if that makes sense lol.

**skyblue-tiger: **Hey I'm glad you like that chapter

**Bladebreakers: **Hmm about Kai and the dizziness, well you'll have to wait and see, all I will say is that there is something special about their pendants…

**Thunderstorm Blader: **Well done, you're very observant wit the whole necklace thing, more will be explained as the story goes on!

**Diamond Core: **Err happy Easter… even though it happened a month ago… oh dear I really haven't updated in ages! Please forgive me!

**Kimkizna: **Heya don't worry about not reviewing straight away, I mean I haven't updated in ages! I've been so bad!

**Valarie: **I will continue with this story until it's finished, although it may take a while if I keep having writers block lol

**Gigolas: **Hey nice name, thanks for reviewing

**Plushie Ray: **Aww you tears are more than words can say… I'm hoping your crying because its good, not cause its bad :P

**kaisfireangel2: **Ahem… are you are mind reader? My plot for the end is kind of similar to that idea lol.

Ok that's all the reviewers dealt with, thank you all so much for reviewing!

This next chapter is a little well… strange I guess… but it's a sorter clue to something that may happen later on, in this story… I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats.

* * *

**Chapter 34: Wings of Fire**

Cold, so cold…

This thought flickered through Cassie's mind as she walked along the snowy mountain side. She didn't recognise the place, yet it felt somewhat familiar… Loneliness crept in as she walked through the snow.

'_Patiere?_'

Sure enough her black panther was by her side, its golden eyes calming her soul. She always felt safe with Patiere by her side.

A chilling wolf's howl broke the eerie silence the air, startling the girl. Without warning, a strong blizzard began to surround her and the panther. Visibility was poor; she could barely see her own two feet!

Panic set in as another, this time closer, howl echoed around her ears. She tried to quicken her pace, but the thick snow prevented her from making progress.

Out of nowhere a wolf pounced onto Cassie, pinning her to the floor. She screamed, remembering the time this had happened as a child.

The wolf growled, its icy eyes piercing her own lilac ones. The warm stench from its breath sent a shiver down her spine.

Her stomach turned as the wolf decided to bare its fangs. She knew what would happen next. Clenching her eyes, Cassie prepared for the wolf to attack. Suddenly the wolf screamed in pain as its weight got lifted off Cassie's body.

Slowly the girl opened her eyes to see Patiere pinning down the terrifying canine. Soon the two beasts became engrossed in a vicious struggle. The wolf trying endlessly to reach Cassie, but Patiere forever protected her master.

Cassie gathered her senses, and scrambled to her feet. She knew that Patiere couldn't keep the wolf at bay forever. Taking one last look at Patiere, the girl began to run as fast as she could through the snowy hillside.

The blizzard worsened. Confusion set in, Cassie had lost all sense of direction. Everything seemed the same; it was all a white haze. The snow worsened causing the girl to shield her eyes from the freezing flakes.

It was no use, she was lost… the only good thing she could scramble from this dilemma was that she could no longer hear the howling wolf… however that also meant Cassie had lost Patiere too…

Just as she was about to give up hope, the girl began to notice a shadowy figure some distance in front of her. Cautiously, she approached the mysterious figure, as she did so, the snow died out until Cassie could clearly see who the figure was.

It was a beautiful woman clad in a long icy-blue dress. She had a long, slim figure and white flowing hair to her knees. Her face although attractive, had a malevolent feeling to it. The mystery woman smiled as Cassie came closer.

The Korean girl was now exceedingly confused, why was the woman out here, in the middle of nowhere?

Cassie opened her mouth to ask that very question but found she could not speak. There was something about this woman, some aura, that froze Cassie to the spot.

Gracefully, the woman raised her right arm level with her hip. She smiled sweetly as her arm revealed a wolf that sat obediently by her side.

Cassie's eyes widened in shock, she couldn't move, fear had taken over her body.

The woman smirked at the girl's reaction. She gazed down to the wolf which looked expectantly back at her. The lady nodded understandingly before turning back to the frightened girl.

From where she was standing, Cassie could see that bits of the wolf's coat were stained with blood… Patiere's blood. Her heart sank; a single tear fell from her eye.

The woman gave a sympathetic look towards the girl before raising her hands in the air, summoning a blizzard around her and Cassie. A turquoise light surrounded the mysterious woman, every second getting brighter and brighter.

Suddenly the woman shot her arms forwards pointing towards Cassie. The strange light followed this direction and flew towards the Korean girl. An icy pain shot through Cassie's body as the light hit her. She screamed out in pain as she realised what was happening. Ice began to surround her feet, moving up her body at a fast rate. She could feel her body becoming numb. Eventually the ice has surrounded her body completely.

Through the ice she could just about make out the figure of the woman and wolf. Cassie was desperately running out of air, the cold was taking over, her breathing became shallow.

She could now see the blue reflection of the wolf encircling her icy prison. Her head was beginning to go numb.

'_Is this how it ends…_' she thought sadly

With her last ounce of strength she gazed at the woman, who was still smiling. Suddenly that smile faded. Cassie could see a red glow in the distance. The ice smothered her hearing but the girl thought she heard the cry of a bird.

She noticed the wolf become exceedingly anxious until it abruptly ran away. Cassie's attention turned to the woman, who now seemed terrified. A red light blinded Cassie causing her to shut her eyes as best she could. She could hear the muffled screams of the woman that had imprisoned her, screams of pain and desperation.

Then silence.

In this eerie stillness Cassie decided it was safe enough to open her eyes. Golden orbs peered back at her.

'_Patiere…'_

The Black Panther raised a paw to the ice. Cassie smiled sadly. Then her eyes showed pain - her time had run out. She had no more air left to breath. Slowly she felt herself slipping away. Her vision began to get cloudy…

Patiere suddenly backed away, causing Cassie to fear death even more. Suddenly two fiery wings encased the icy prison.

Even in near unconsciousness, Cassie still felt the heat travel up her body as the ice melted. The ice around her heart began to melt. Her panic slowly began to slip away, she felt unusually calm with the wings of fire wrapped around her. All of her pain was being drained away. But she still needed air. With her last ounce of strength she gasped for her first breath of air.

Cassie shot up from her bed, sweat pouring from her forehead, she was breathing deeply.

Her head began to spin from getting up so fast. Then it hit her.

"It was just a dream…" she whispered with a sigh of relief.

But it seemed so real, the pain she felt, the coldness of the ice, the warmness of the wings… Those fiery wings… The wings that had brought her back to life.

'_Dranzer?_'

* * *

Dun dun durrr! Ok was that chapter lame? Please say if it was, because I'll try and write a better chapter next time lol.

Speaking of which, I need to ask you guys for your opinion of what I should write about. You see I'm not so confident on writing the battle scenes for the tournament, and well, I was wondering if I should skip the preliminary rounds and go straight to the semi finals? What do you lot think?

I've got an idea for Boris' plan now anyways… and that's a reason I've been holding back on this story, I've been waiting for the episodes of G-rev with Boris in – to see how he behaves… and well now he's finally arrived so I can write about him better now!

Anyways here's a poll for your ideas for the next chapter:

**A) Give a brief overview of the preliminary rounds and skip to the semi-finals**

**B) Continue with the tournament as I am at the moment (bearing in mind it gets more exciting in the semi-finals)**

**C) Write a bit more about Boris's plan**

**D) Something else (give me ideas if you chose this)**

I'd appreciate if you did answer this poll, it would help! Please review, I'd love to know your comments! I'll update when I can.

Wreckless Spirit


	35. Too Good To Miss

Wow I had like 22 reviews for that last chapter! Thank you so much guys! Well most of you voted for this chapter to go straight onto the semi finals so, my wish is your command!

Oh and by the way, a lot of reviewers mentioned how the last chapter reminded them of Tala and Worlborg… Well it's funny you should mention that, because as I said previously, chapter 34 will hold GREAT relevance for later on in this story… after all dreams can sometimes be an apparition of the future.

Well that's all I say for now… Onto this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 35: Too Good To Miss**

"Dragoon! Hyper Victory Tornado!"

"No! Draciel!"

The blonde American watched in dismay as his precious bit beast flew out the Beydish. Max sunk to his knees. It was over…

Jazzman suddenly came to life.

"Draciel is out! So that means Tyson wins!"

The crowds cheered wildly as Dragoon was summoned back to his master. Max could do nothing but shake his head in disbelief.

'_I lost…'_

The boy was barely listening as Jazzman confirmed his worst fears.

"This win for the BBA means they have taken final place in the semi-finals! Sadly it also means the All Starz are out of this year's competition, along with the Majestics. So that means the semi-finals will be as follows: The Demolition Boys will face the BBA Revolution, and Team Twilight will face the White Tigers! The winners of these two matches will then face each other in the finals!"

Cheers bellowed from the excited crowds, as Tyson waved eagerly to his fans. Suddenly the boy stopped as he noticed his friend was still on his knees.

"Max?"

Slowly the American lifted his head.

"Hey that was a great match buddy," Exclaimed Tyson as he outstretched his hand. "I fell honoured to have battled you."

Max smiled in his usual kind way, and shook Tyson's hand.

"Thanks, Tyson… I'm glad you're the one that beat me. At least I got a battle worth losing for."

"No hard feelings?"

"Of course not!" replied Max. "I haven't forgotten the pact we made, forever friends right?"

The two boys chuckled and waved in unison to the crowds. Rei and Cassie, who had been watching the match smiled at their friends. Their smiles slightly wavered when they caught each others eyes. For a brief moment they looked blankly at their next opponent, until Rei nodded politely before his team left the arena, Cassie smiled and nodded back understandingly.

'_I remember the pact…'_

* * *

"So you looking forward to your match with Kai, Tyson?" asked Max as they sat in the BBA café.

"Well I'm looking forward to beating him,"

"Tyson you shouldn't be so cocky!" snapped Hilary.

"Geeze Hil, I was joking!"

"Yes well now is not the time to be joking around!" retorted the girl.

"Ahem… I think what Hilary means Tyson, is that you'll need to take this next match very seriously if you want to defeat Kai." Added Kenny.

"Relax Chief, I _do_ know what I'm doing,"

"But I don't think you realise just how powerful Kai has got…"

"So he's got a little stronger… So what? I have too."

"Tyson, you shouldn't underestimate Kai," warned Max

"I don't need a lecture Max"

"I'm only trying to help Ty, remember, you haven't faced him so far, but both Rei and myself were beaten by Kai in the preliminary rounds. In fact, he's the only blader who hasn't lost a match yet."

"Well his lucky streak is about to be shattered, 'cause me and Dragoon mean business!"

"You don't listen to anything do you Tyson?"

"What you say Hil?"

"Argh! I give up!" exclaimed the girl.

* * *

Meanwhile Team Twilight were discussing team tactics in their training arena.

"So we're up against the White Tigers next?"

"Yup, that's right Mika."

"Uhuh, well they seem a strong team Cassie." Stated Tariq

"They are fairly…"

"What do you mean Cass? Have you played them before?" enquired Daren.

"Well… I have battled them. It wasn't really anything official though."

"I see… which of them did you battle?"

The girl sighed. Her team were forever asking questions.

"All of them," she replied bluntly

"What?" exclaimed her team

"You battle all five of them?" questioned Mika

"No, four of them, Rei wasn't on their team when I battled them."

"But you battled four of them… in one go? By yourself?"

"Uhuh," nodded the girl innocently

"Cassie, that sort of thing is way to risky,"

"Well it wasn't like I had a choice at the time Daren! Oh it doesn't matter, the main thing is I managed pretty well against all four of them."

"But…"

"Daren, I knew what I was doing! Let's just leave it there eh? I think it's more important that we concentrate on beating them in our match."

"We shouldn't need to worry…" stated Mika

"What?" confusion spread across their captain's face

"Well if you could take on all of them in one go, then we shouldn't need to worry about battling them individually…"

"We should still take them as seriously as any other competitor Mika, after all, they did make their way to the semi-finals."

"Tariq is right, we can't take any chances. Besides, I know for certain Rei will have trained his team hard to improve their skills. I reckon they will have developed their abilities for our match."

"So what do you suggest Cass?" asked Daren

"I think we should practice, and practice well. Even if the Whit Tigers aren't a major challenge, and we beat them, whoever we face in the finals will be far more difficult to defeat."

All of the team nodded in agreement, as they thought about the two possible finalists they could face.

"How do you think will win out of Tyson and Kai?" asked Mika

Cassie frowned as she contemplated the question.

"It hard to say… they are both strong bladers."

"But you know them both, who's the strongest?"

Cassie hesitated, she really didn't know.

"Kai," replied Daren bluntly.

"You think?" asked Cassie in surprise

"I know. I doubt he will lose if Boris has anything to do with it."

He had a point. Boris would be less than forgiving if his team didn't reach the semi-finals. Not to mention, the fact that Kai had beaten Tyson last time they had battled.

Could he beat Tyson again? Only time would tell.

* * *

An evil smile, spread across Boris' face as he observed Team Twilights discussions.

"So they suspect something… No matter, everyone knows that I only accept the best. Indeed I will expect Kai to defeat Tyson, if he doesn't then there will be severe consequences…"

Then he saw something on the monitor that made him stop in his tracks.

"On the other hand, maybe there is something else that would make Kai more willing to co-operate…"

He went to his computer and pressed record. Once again he smirked to himself.

'_Some opportunities are just too good to miss.'_

* * *

Ooo so that's a sort of cliffie for you all! I hope you enjoyed it! I think I know what is gonna happen in the story now, and I reckon there will be about six more chapters until the end. They may be more but not many more lol. If there is demand though, I may write a sequel to this fic… it all depends on what you want!

So please review!

Wreckless Spirit


	36. Thank you

Heya everyone! This is a much more efficient update now, less than a week! I should be able to update a bit better now, because I'm on exam leave for the next month lol. I should be revising now… but never mind!

So now to my reviewers, sorry I was lazy in the last chapter, I didn't reply to your comments!

**Myownworld: **Yeah and there's gonna be another cliffie in this chapter too!

**Wind Archer: **In this chapter you shall find out what 'the evil beep' is planning. Oh and about Tala, well he's not going to be in this chapter, but probably will in the next one; and just to warn you he's likely to be a bad guy in this fic, sorry! But if it makes you feel better, he's being manipulated by Boris!

**skyblue-tiger: **I'll always try my best to write decent chapters!

**HeartlessDevil: **Thank you :)

**lil' angelgrl: **Boris' plan shall be revealed very soon…

**Beyblade-gal: **Heya is this a quick enough update for you, it way better than last time after all lol. Hope you like it!

**Ilovecake2: **Yay I'd really appreciate it if you would read my other fic, but its ok if you don't have time to. Thanks as always for all the compliments, you a swell reviewer!

**personne du monde: **Glad you liked the chapter!

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Aww thank you I think you're an ace writer yourself! Yeah cafeteria meals are really bad aint they? Ooo and you may just find out what Boris saw… he's a creepy man! Enjoy!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Thank you for reviewing!

**EvilTwinKae: **Their plan will be revealed if you care to read on…

**Shakena: **Ooo you definitely want a sequel don't you lol. Oh and I'm sorry the chapters have been quite short recently, it because I have to find a balance between updating regularly and writing a decent length chapter. I hope this one is long enough, do say if its not!

**K: **Thank you… is that all your penname is? Or did some it get cut off?

**Kimkizna: **Heya, I reviewed your story eventually, sorry it took so long, I liked it though! The plot was very good, I look forward to reading more of it. Thanks for reviewing mine too!

**Bladebreakers: **You shall see…

Now that's everyone dealt with now, so I guess there is nothing else to do but say, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my own characters and their bitbeasts!

* * *

**Chapter 36: Thank you**

Boris went to his computer and pressed the record button. Once again he smirked to himself.

'_Some opportunities are just too good to miss.'_

* * *

_**Back with Team Twilight**_

"Time to get down to business; Mika you practice with Traiq and I'll help Daren today if that's ok?"

"Yeah that's fine."

"Ok we'll catch up with you later," waved Mika

The two boys left the dressing room, leaving Cassie and Daren alone.

"I guess we better get some training done," mumbled Cassie as she scratched the back of her head.

"You sound convinced…" replied her friend sarcastically.

Cassie chuckled and turned away from her friend,

"You know me too well…" she said in a low voice as she looked to her blade.

The boy cocked his head questioningly, and walked up to his friend.

"Cassie is something wrong?" he asked as he laid a hand on her shoulder

She sighed softly and turned around to face her dearest companion.

"Not really… its just… well having to battle the White Tigers has kinda brought up some memories for me…"

"Memories?"

"It's a long story but basically, I was injured last time the White Tigers battled me – they challenged me after I'd had to fight a dozen other bladers. They were tough opponents, and I especially weak because of the previous battles. Well anyway basically I was close to collapse when I fought them… but Kai saved me."

"He did?"

"Uhuh, he protected me and fought them off with Dranzer… He was like a knight in shining armour… He took care of me - made me go to hospital…Well it was basically that night that I fell for him, and when he began to like me…"

Daren gazed down on his friend; he could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Oh I see…" he murmured

"It just reminds me of him…"

A tear slid down her cheek.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to cry in front of you,"

"Cass, I've seen you cry before…" he whispered as he lifted her chin up.

He looked sadly into her lilac eyes, it pained him so much that she was suffering inside.

"You used to cry when we were little remember?"

She smiled slightly at the memories.

"Yeah, and you were always there to look after me,"

"Yup and I always will be," replied Daren as he kissed he forehead. "Now no more tears ok?"

Cassie looked up to Daren's friendly gaze, and nodded silently whilst wiping a tear from her cheek. Forcing a small smile as well.

"Good girl," he whispered as he gently hugged her.

Cassie closed her eyes and hugged him back, she was so grateful for all the support he gave her.

"Thank you,"

"No problem… now I'm thinking you're not really in the best state for training… so how about we go to the park? You know, just chill, get an ice-cream, and enjoy the great outdoors? Granted it's not like back in Korea, but it might cheer you up, what you say?"

She smiled softly

"Yeah sounds good…" then she went up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek softly "Thank you,"

"No problem," replied the boy as he smiled back.

* * *

Kai's eyes narrowed as he watched the screen.

Boris had called him into the office to show him something _'of great interest_'. This thing, was in fact a video clip from Team Twilights dressing room. Although the video was mute he could still clearly see what was going on!

He watched as the girl he loved, hugged her best friend… the friend Kai knew very well liked Cassie. Possibly the only person who Cassie cared more about than Kai… The friend that had longed to be that close to her…

Kai watched closely, trying his best to lip read the silent tape. He thought he saw Daren say the word 'park'. She seemed to cheer up then.

Then Cassie did something Kai did not expect. She kissed Daren on the cheek. She had to physically stretch to reach him because he was near enough a head taller than her, but she still made the effort to kiss him.

Kai's eyes blazed with fire as he saw the girl he loved whisper something to her so called 'friend' that made Daren smile.

The Russian boy couldn't quite make out what her lips were saying.

"Replay the last bit." Kai stated flatly

Boris smirked; _the mouse had taken the bait_. He did what he was told and replayed the last few seconds, conveniently including the kiss.

Kai watched closely again, she kissed him and whispered two words… then it hit him.

"Again!" he demanded – he had to be sure he was right.

The same bit of tape was replayed, Boris's smirk getting ever bigger.

Kai watched as she again kissed him and say…

"Love you…" he whispered in sync

Those words fitted perfectly.

For a second Kai was hit by complete grief; it couldn't be… Cassie would never cheat on him… she said she'd wait for him… didn't she?

All these thought spun around in his head. Then his sadness turned to hate as he watched Cassie exit with Daren's arm still around her. If looks could kill, Daren would be a dead man…

Kai turned sharply to Boris, the man showed no expression on his face.

"When did this happen?"

"Not long ago, in fact barely ten minutes ago… I called you here as soon as they'd left."

"And why was that?"

"Because I know you too well Kai… I know that you have deep feelings for this girl, there's no point in denying them, I saw the letter you gave her…"

The boy looked slightly fearful.

"Yes it was very… _brave_ that you dare disobey mine and your grandfather's instructions never to communicate with her again, but never the less, we did think you would… you're so predictable Kai…

And for this reason we expected you would therefore be… how shall I say… less of a challenge than usual, should you have to battle this girl in the finals… I just thought you should know that she was playing you for a fool…

Indeed it was probably part of her strategy to rekindle your feelings for her… she too knew that you couldn't truly battle someone you loved… especially if it meant she would get hurt if you did…"

Kai frowned, was what Boris saying correct? Would Cassie do that to him?

"I know it must be hard to take Kai, but you must understand this girl is only in to win, even if it means hurting the people she once cared about…"

Boris went and poignantly played the tape at the same point again.

"Besides, it looks like she's found someone else now Kai, don't you think?"

This was too much to take. Kai slammed his fist on the desk, releasing some of his anger.

"Where did they go!" he demanded

"To the park I believe… you're not going after her _are you_?"

Kai made no reply as he stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

The Russian man grinned malevolently.

"_So predictable_…" he muttered as he went to play the tape again but this time allowing the sound to be heard.

He watched smugly as Cassie kissed the boy on the cheek softly before whispering clearly

"_Thank you…_"

* * *

Yay, another chapter done! Well I hope you all enjoyed this one, I was going to combine this chapter with the next one, but I thought it would have much more suspense if I separate them, leaving you on a sort of cliffie.

I hope this chapter was long enough. I'll update as soon as I write the next chapter, I seem to be on a roll recently. If you have any question/queries about this story please don't hesitate to ask, I don't bite… much lol.

Please Review!

Wreckless Spirit


	37. A Walk in the Park

Heya all, I'm so sorry it's been a while since I've updated last, but I do have a really valid excuse. Well first of all my internet played up and I wasn't able to access fanfiction at all! It was so stupid cause I could get other sites, just not this one! I was even more annoyed because I had this chapter ready like a week ago!

And then I've been on holiday so I wasn't able to update, for a week! And then it played up again last night!

So as an apology I have made this chapter extra, extra long! I hope you all like it! Now to my many reviewers, wow I had 23 reviews for that last chapter, I'm like gob smacked – that's the most ever for one chapter! So because there's so many of you I'll just reply to those who asked questions… Is that ok?

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Grabs me flaming torch Yeah let's get Boris Muhahaha! Oh hang on can we get him after we finish my story, only hes kind of important until then lol, good idea though.

**Ilovecake2: **Aww that's very sweet of you to say so and yes I will be writing the two semi-final battles in detail. Hmm, well can understand that a MaxHillTyson pairing isn't everyone's cup of tea. Thank you for reading it anyway. Just read this story if you prefer, I won't be offended… that much :P

**Wind Archer: **Yer I'm sorry, but Tala will be evil in this chapter particularly and he will get hurt… but don't worry he won't die – I'm not that cruel!

**phoenix-raine: **I'm sorry if you found the characters a bit OOC, I have tried my best, but there's only so much I can do to fit with the story, I hope things are a bit better in this chapter. Let me know if they're not though, I'll try better next time.

Well thank you to everyone else who reviewed, you all seem to want to kill Boris lol. Hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats

* * *

**Chapter 37: A Walk in the Park**

Cassie and Daren walked casually through the breezy park.

"It's quite chilly today, don't you think?"

"Yeah, good job I told you to wear that coat eh? You'd be freezing otherwise in those clothes…"

"_In those clothes?_ And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" asked Cassie whilst giving her friend a very sly look.

"_Nothing_… its just, well… come on, they aren't exactly the most… appropriate of clothes to wear when it's cold,"

Cassie raised an eyebrow before looking at her clothes. Ok so maybe a short white dress and long white boots aren't the best insulating clothes, but it wasn't as if she was wearing a bikini or anything!

"I see your point…" she muttered with a slight smirk. "Oh well this long coat's is nice and snugly,"

"Snugly? What kind of a word is that?" he asked chuckling.

"It's my word, and it's in the dictionary so nerr!" retorted the girl as she stuck her tongue out.

"Hey! Don't stick that filthy thing at me!" replied Daren light-heartedly

"Oh? And why not?"

"Because I might catch some horrible disease," joked the boy as he stuck his tongue out at her.

The girl gasped, and slapped her friend playfully

"Meany!"

The two giggled as they continued walking through the park. It was a rather grey day; few people were outside this time, mainly because it looked as if it was about to rain any second. However this didn't bother the two friends who were used to harsh weather conditions; Cassie had always insisted on Team Twilight training even in the monsoon season, just to build up their skills. Even the strong wind that now blew, barely affected the two companions.

"You're shivering…" commented Daren

"I know… I don't know why, it isn't even that cold."

"Hmm well I don't you to catch hyperthermia… come here,"

The boy casually put his arm around Cassie's waist pulling her close to him.

"We'll go back now, this is just to keep you warm," reassured the boy. "Can't have our captain getting ill now can we?"

"You're silly, you know that? I'm fine…"

"If you were fine you wouldn't be shivering,"

Cassie went to argue but couldn't think of a good enough come back.

"Ok Mr. Smarty pants, you got me!" she sighed in defeat.

"I know I have," smirked the boy as he tickled the side of her waist causing her to scream slightly.

In response she began to tickle him back. Soon they were both absorbed in a huge tickling match, laughing hysterically… They didn't notice the boy that was approaching them at a steady speed.

"Interrupting something am I?" asked a stern voice

Immediately the two stopped, still slightly laughing.

"Wha…Kai?" asked Cassie

"I thought I'd find _you_ _two_ here."

There was something about the way Kai was speaking that unnerved Cassie. His voice was harsher than usual, almost like he was trying to stop himself from shouting.

"Hi Kai! I was just taking Cassie out for a park…"

"I'm sure you were!" snapped the boy, causing Daren to step back a bit.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" demanded Daren

"What ever you want it to mean." Growled the Russian

Cassie didn't like where this was going. She decided to intervene.

"Now, now boys… let's just calm down." She placed her hand on Kai's raised one.

"Don't touch me!" he yelled pushing her away.

"What? I- I don't understand Kai…" replied a hurt Cassie

She began to walk towards him, trying to place her hands on his shoulders.

"I said DON'T touch me!" shouted Kai

"Hey don't speak to her like that!"

"I'll speak to her how I like!"

"Why you…"

"Daren! Stop it!" cried Cassie. "Both of you! Please… Kai what's wrong? Why are you talking like this?"

"Don't play innocent with me Cassie,"

"What?"

"I know what you've been up to,"

"I don't know what you're on about Kai,"

"Drop the act Cassie, I've seen it, I've seen the whole thing!"

"Seen what? I don't understand…"

"I know you've been cheating on me,"

"Cheating? What the hell…"

"And don't deny it either cause I have proof. I saw you in your team room with… _him_," Kai's voice dripped with venom as he glared at Daren

Rain was now gently falling from the sky, soaking all three of them.

"Now hang on Kai, me and Cassie haven't done anything…"

"Oh really? So her kissing you and saying she loved you is nothing huh?"

"Kissed me…?"

"I never said…" started Cassie

"I saw you with his arm around you Cassie! You've walked half around the park like it!"

"I was…" began the girl.

"… And now I come here to find you both all over each other…"

"Kai we were tickling each other,"

"Tickling?... More like feeling each other up!"

"KAI!" gasped Cassie "How can you say such a thing!"

"Look, Kai you got the wrong end of the stick!" started Daren

"And you can shut up and all!" yelled Kai. "I knew you liked her, but I never EVER dreamed you'd actually do something…"

"Kai, he hasn't done anything…"

"And as for you Cassie… I thought you loved me, I know I loved you…"

"Kai you're confusing me, I don't understand what you saw," replied Cassie, who was now very close to tears.

"YOU KISSED HIM!" shouted the boy

"When!"

"Today! Boris showed me what happened! I trusted you Cassie, I thought you loved me…" answered the boy with tears in his eyes.

"I do love you,"

"Then why kiss him?"

"Look, I don't know what you saw, but the only kiss I have ever given Daren is a quick peck on the cheek,"

"It's still a kiss!"

"Kai how can you be so fickle? It was a peck on the cheek!"

"I don't care! You still told him you loved him!"

"I never did such a thing!" protested the girl.

"Ach I'm not blind Cassie, I saw what you said,"

"Well I don't think you did Kai, because Cassie has never said that to me."

"And who asked for your opinion?" sneered Kai as he glared at Daren. "You've already done enough damage,"

"For the last time we haven't done anything!"

"I saw the tape Cassie!"

"Tape? What tape!"

"Boris showed me a tape of your team room; he's been filming you all for weeks!"

"What!"

Without warning Daren grabbed Kai and pinned him against a tree.

"You creep! How dare you film our team!" shouted the Korean boy.

"How dare you get with MY girlfriend!" replied Kai

"Will you stop saying that! I haven't done anything! And even if I did, you deserve it!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" barked the boy.

"Any way you want it to Kai! I never liked you, I always knew you were a bad person… a person who would break Cassie's heart."

"Don't judge me," growled Kai. "You don't know me…"

"And you don't know me." Replied Daren as he let go of Kai. "So I suggest you back off, and stop accusing me of doing anything with Cassie."

The anger had built up too much. With all his strength, Kai punched Daren, causing the Korean to fall backwards onto the floor. Kai glared at the boy with hate.

"Don't ever tell me what to do!"

Daren groaned in pain. His nose was bleeding quite badly. Cassie was already by his side trying to help him. She was in tears, so many different emotions were swarming around in her mind; confusion, heartbreak, worry for Daren, anger at Kai… She looked at the boy she loved with pained eyes.

"Kai I don't know what you saw, but I swear I have never cheated on you. If I have pecked Daren on the cheek, then it was only a friendly kiss, nothing else… I thought you'd trust me…"

"It's hard to say I do, when I saw you say you loved him,"

"Then you heard wrong Kai! I never said that!"

Then it hit him… _heard_… the video was on mute… could it be that he was wrong?

"Wait, Cassie…"

"Forget it Kai! You obviously don't trust me… I think its best if we just leave for a while,"

She helped up Daren, putting his arm around her neck to support him.

"What?"

"You heard! Oh and I suggest you check that tape as well, your hearing doesn't seem to be up to scratch recently. Now if you excuse me, we're going."

With that the girl walked away, supporting the concussed Daren, who gave a last glare at Kai before following his captain.

Kai rubbed his shoulder as he watched them walk off; there'd surely be a bruise where the Korean had grabbed him. The boy sighed. He looked at his hands, noticing the traces of the Korean's blood on his knuckles.

'_I was right… wasn't I?_... _Boris wouldn't have tricked me? Would he?'_

There was a slight feeling of doubt in the back of Kai's mind that Boris may have tricked him, but that was the least of his problems.

As Kai turned to go back, he came face to face with Tala.

"Having girl problems?" smirked the red-haired boy as he leant against a tree

Kai's eyes narrowed.

"It doesn't matter."

"Oh but I think it does, especially if you jeopardise our team's plan."

Kai chose to ignore his team mate and tried to walk past him, but Tala stuck his arm out preventing him from doing so.

"Move you arm Tala."

"Nahah Kai… You see, I've been listening to what you said to that girl… and it seems to me that you've been talking too much…"

"What do mean?"

"You mentioned our little video operation Kai… We were relying on that for information, I'm pretty sure Boris won't be pleased when he hears that _you_ were the one that told them of it."

"I don't care." Kai pushed past the boy, only to be grabbed and once again pinned up against a tree.

"Don't play smart with me Kai… You may be captain but that doesn't mean you're untouchable."

"Don't threaten me Tala," Kai's voice was dark.

"Or what? You'll tell Boris? I'm pretty sure he'd be on my side this time Kai. They all would: Brian, Spencer… Voltaire."

"You've changed you tune Tala, has Boris got to you? You used to hate him."

"Let's just say I've seen the light."

The red head began to push slightly against Kai's neck, making his breathing difficult but Kai did not let him now that.

"What do you want Tala?"

"I want our team to win this tournament Kai, and I don't want _you_ to screw it up! If you do, you _will_ pay. I promise… Just remember, I've been in the Abbey for longer than you, I could quite easily find ways to make you suffer. Understand? For your sake, I hope that boy won't complain to the officials about the face lift you gave him… Cause if he does, we'll be chucked out of the tournament, and that wouldn't make me happy now, would it?"

The boys glared at one another. Then Tala began to walk away.

"Make sure you win against Tyson Kai… The Demolition boys don't accept failure."

Kai panted as he watched the boy walk away. Slowly his breathing became its normal pace. This hadn't been his day; he'd been pinned twice against the same tree! He growled when he realised Tala was off to tell Boris, the secret camera's cover had been blown.

Kai wouldn't be in a hurry to go back there anytime soon. Or was he…

'_I need to check that tape…'_ thought the boy. '_Maybe Cassie was right… After all, it could have been planned for all of this to happen… Boris would love for me to give him the opportunity to punish me… What if she was right! There must have been sound on the tape, I've seen others with sound…I have to check!'_

This thought had barely crossed Kai's mind, before he began sprinting towards Boris' office, praying the tape was still in the recorder.

* * *

Silently Kai passed unnoticed through the BBA building to reach the Demolition Boys' training area. As he approached, the harsh voices of Boris and Voltaire echoed through the corridors, accompanied by Tala's grovelling.

"Fool! If you knew he was going to spill our plans you should have stopped him!" yelled Boris.

Kai winced as he heard someone being thrown against a nearby the wall.

"I'm sorry, sir! I-I didn't realise you'd want me to stop him." Pleaded Tala

"Sorry doesn't do you any favours Tala, now our plan is ruined… you should have stopped Hiwatari!"

Kai shuddered when he heard his name; it was always a bad sign when Boris referred him as Hiwatari. The boy dreaded what would happen to him when they found him…

"Please Sir, I'll do better next time!"

"You defiantly will do… the Demolition Boys do not accept failure."

'_Oh Tala, your own words cursed you,'_ thought Kai sadly.

He knew what would happen next, in fact he could already hear the cane tapping on the floor. Sure enough Tala's screams echoed down the halls, causing Kai to shiver.

The boy cried out in pain. Kai did contemplate on trying to help his team mate, but couldn't risk the chance it was all a trap to get him back so soon. He decided that now was the time to go to Boris's office, after all it was less likely for him to get caught if Boris was _occupied_.

The screams intensified, until they suddenly ceased.

"That will do Boris! I think the boy has learnt his lesson." Ordered Voltaire

"Yes Sir," replied Boris

No reply could be heard from Tala.

"Now let's move onto the more important issue of finding my Grandson. Get the others to take Tala back to his room, and then search for Kai."

"Yes Master Voltaire,"

"He can't hide forever, you see Boris, I've found him before and I can certainly find him again."

"Yes Sir,"

* * *

A sound was barely made as Kai shut the office door. He looked around the room, checking Boris has not left any security alarms for any unwanted visitors. Confident that there weren't any, Kai made his way to the video player.

'_Damn!_' thought the boy

The recorder was empty, the tape had been moved.

'_It's got to be here somewhere'_

He began desperately to search the cluttered desk, forever conscious of any approaching sounds. Time was running out, Boris was bound to return to his office soon.

As he moved some papers around on the desk, he heard a clunk. His eyes traced the noise to the floor, he smiled.

'_Bingo'_

He swiftly picked up the tape and placed it in the recorder, pressing play at same time. The tape began to play in silence, Kai frowned… There had to be sound. He looked around for a button on the television screen that controlled the volume. When he pressed the button he found it was on mute. Kai frowned.

'_So there was sound…_'

Carefully he turned up the volume loud enough so only he could hear. Kai watched closely… this time he wouldn't 'mishear'.

"**_Cassie is something wrong?" Daren asked as he laid a hand on her shoulder_**

_**She sighed softly and turned around to face her dearest companion.**_

"_**Not really… its just… well having to battle the White Tigers has kinda brought up some memories for me…"**_

"_**Memories?"**_

"_**It's a long story but basically, I was injured last time the White Tigers battled me – they challenged me after I'd had to fight a dozen other bladers. They were tough opponents, and I especially weak because of the previous battles. Well anyway basically I was close to collapse when I fought them… but Kai saved me."**_

"_**He did?"**_

"_**Uhuh, he protected me and fought them off with Dranzer… He was like a knight in shining armour… He took care of me - made me go to hospital…Well it was basically that night that I fell for him, and when he began to like me…"**_

The memory of that night was still clear in Kai's mind. It was true, that was the night he first began to like her. For some unknown reason he had to save her…and he did! For one night he was _her_ hero.

_**Daren gazed down on his friend; he could see the sadness in her eyes.**_

"_**Oh I see…" he murmured**_

"_**It just reminds me of him…"**_

Kai's stomach turned… Cassie had been crying… because of him. He didn't realise she missed him that much.

_**A tear slid down her cheek.**_

"_**I'm sorry, I don't want to cry in front of you,"**_

"_**Cass, I've seen you cry before…" he whispered as he lifted her chin up.**_

_**He looked sadly into her lilac eyes, it pained him so much that she was suffering inside.**_

"_**You used to cry when we were little remember?"**_

**_She smiled slightly._**

"_**Yeah, and you were always there to look after me,"**_

"_**Yup and I always will be," replied Daren as he kissed he forehead. "Now no more tears ok?"**_

**_Cassie looked up to Daren's friendly gaze, and nodded silently whilst wiping a tear from her cheek._**

"_**Good girl," he whispered as he gently hugged her.**_

**_Cassie closed her eyes and hugged him back,_**

A wave of jealously swept over Kai momentarily. He wasn't fond of Daren, but at the same time Kai couldn't help but feel grateful to him for looking after Cassie.

"_**Thank you,"**_

"_**No problem… now I'm thinking you're not really in the best state for training… so how about we go to the park? You know, just chill, get an ice-cream, and enjoy the great outdoors? Granted it's not like back in Korea, but it might cheer you up, what you say?"**_

_**She smiled softly**_

"_**Yeah sounds good…" then she went up on her tip toes and kissed his cheek softly "Thank you,"**_

Kai stood paralysed. He couldn't move… a combination of shock and guilt had bolted him to the floor.

'_I was wrong… Cassie, she-she was right…_'

His stomach turned, as he thought of the things he'd said to her… all because he'd jumped to conclusions. She's been true to him, she'd always been true to him; yet he'd still falsely accused her of cheating on him, all because of Boris.

He thought of the bloody nose he'd given Daren, the hurt in Cassie eyes when she'd looked back at him.

Kai mentally hit himself, as closed his eyes tightly.

'_I've been such a fool! I may have lost her for good now… Damn it Kai! Why the hell did you even trust Boris! God, I should have known he'd do something like this! That creep! Oh Cassie will you ever be able to forgive me?_'

Just then his eyes shot open. He'd heard a noise. A very close noise!

Boris…

The office door opened with a creak. Kai froze to the spot.

'_I'm dead…_'

* * *

Wow now there's a cliffie for you, if ever there was one. I hoped you all liked this extra long chapter. It's my way of apologising for not updating in a while, and for having fairly short chapters before.

So what will happen in the next chapter… well that's a good question, because I don't know lol. I think it will be Kai's semi final match with Tyson, either that or Team Twilight verses The White Tigers… what do you think?

Please review with any comments/ suggestions/ questions or whatever! I love reading what people think!

I'll update soon hopefully

Wreckless Spirit


	38. Surprise!

Heya all! Wow I'm over 400 reviews now for this story yay! Thank you so much to all my reviewers, hugs to you all! I loved reading all your reviews for chapter 37, some of them made me chuckle, and yes, **Ilovecake2 **you were reviewer 400 lol.

I get the impression that a lot of you wanted this chapter to be the battle between the White Tigers and Team Twilight. Well after careful consideration, I've come to the decision to make their match after the BBA and Demolition Boys battle each other… you'll see why!

Now then I have recently been reading an amazing fanfic by an author called **TwinCharm**. I particularly like this one of her stories because it's so much different from the rest. It's a sort of action/adventure/mystery/magical story and it's FAB! I strongly recommend you read it, its called **_What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You_**… it's a super good read, though sadly very people review it. I know it's cheeky to ask you all, but if could spare some time and R&R I know TwinCharm would greatly appreciate it. So far its only 5 chapters long, so it won't take you exceedingly long to read and it definitely won't be a waste of your time!

Ok that's my bit of advertising done lol, now onto the next chapter. I've found this chapter is… well there's a lot of waffle in it I think. I'm sorry if it bores you, but it kind of sets everything up for these last few chapters, therefore it is necessary!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats

* * *

**Chapter 38: Surprise!**

"…And then he hit Daren!"

"No way! Kai did that?"

"Yes way,"

The former Bladebreakers sat around the café table trying to take in all of the information. They anxiously watched their Korean friend as she clenched her fists.

"It was a proper full punch! I had to take Daren to the hospital; I really thought he'd broken his nose!"

"But he's ok now?" asked Max.

"Yes thank goodness, the doctor said it had just caused a nose bleed and some bruising. It looked worse than it actually was apparently."

"Well that's good at least," commented Rei who was trying to put a positive spin on the issue.

"One thing I don't get though, is why Kai freaked out like that,"

"I don't know for sure Chief, but he kept making accusations that I'd kissed Daren…"

"And did you?" enquired Rei

"Of course not! I never have! Daren's like my brother, besides which I love Kai – there's no way I'd ever cheat on him. Kai just kept insisting that I had… ok, so I did give Daren a peck on the cheek – but that was only to say thank you for looking after me! Is that wrong?"

It was now clear that Cassie was near hysterical.

"Not if it's just as you said it was," reasoned Rei

"It was, I swear it was! We were in our team room, and Daren had just comforted me because I'd been crying about how much I missed Kai."

"I see… well in that case it seems harmless,"

"Yeah I have to agree with Max, it seems Kai over reacted… Wait a sec! Did you said you were in your team room? Then how did Kai know about it?"

Rei was always the quick thinker of the group.

"Oh this is where it gets way better!" replied Cassie, sarcasm dripping from her tense voice. "I asked that Kai that very same question, and he went on about how he'd seem a tape of it."

"A tape?"

"Yeah Hil, a tape. _Apparently_ it seems that Boris has been secretly recording our team room."

"Are you sure?" asked Rei

"Positive! We searched the room this morning – we didn't wanna take any chances that Kai was telling the truth you see and… well, Samir found s small camera hidden in one of the vents."

"I can't believe Boris would pull something like this! He's even lower that I thought!" exclaimed an angry Tyson

"Yeah well, that's the reason I called you all here… We can't be he hasn't done the same to any of your rooms either. So please check them and be careful what you say in there."

Kenny thought carefully before viewing his opinion of the situation.

"If Boris has viewed all of the team rooms, then that would mean he'd know about…"

"All of our strategies," concluded Max

"Exactly! Which means he knows exactly how to counter attack every move we make! I'm gonna have to completely change Team Twilights strategies and alter all of our attacks, just so that creep doesn't second guess us!"

"If he has been spying on all of us, then surely The White Tigers and BBA Revolution should change their tactics too?"

"Certainly Hilary, I just hope I've managed to warn you all in time… especially your team Tyson, because you'll be playing them in a few hours."

The Japanese boy looked ready to explode, however, he remained clam.

"It gonna be tough but it looks like we have little choice, I just hope we can pull it off."

Tyson's fighting spirit always managed to cheer up his friends.

"Well saying that, we better go and break the news to Zeo and Daichi, we're gonna need to re-train immediately,"

"Sure thing Chief, see you later guys. Oh and thanks for warning us Cassie, it means a lot to me,"

"No problem Tyson, I'm only too happy to help. Just don't train so hard you get tired, the Demolition Boys are very strong."

"I won't!"

With that Tyson, along with Hilary and Kenny, made a speedy exit to their room.

"Oh and don't forget to check you're team room first!" Called Cassie

She waited for a response but her friends had already disappeared in the distance, Cassie turned back to Max and Rei.

"I hope they heard me,"

"Don't worry, they won't forget. Well, Tyson may, but the others won't."

The girl chuckled at Max's humour.

"So Cassie, have you informed Mr. Dickenson about all of this, after all he is in charge." Asked Rei

"Yeah, I told him straight away."

"What did he say? I mean, surely what Boris is doing is against the rules."

"It is Max. If I press charges, then the Demolition Boys could be expelled from the tournament."

"And are you going to?"

"No."

"NO?"

The chorus of her two friends' obvious shock made Cassie smirk.

"But why not?" exclaimed Max

"Because… that would be letting them off too easily."

Cassie could tell by her friend's faces that they still didn't understand.

"If their team is forfeited from the competition, then I won't get the chance to prove to Boris that cheating doesn't prosper. I'm gonna settle this in a match. My whole team has decided that if we should face the Demolition Boys in the finals – they _will_ pay. _No one,_ messes with Team Twilight!"

"You forget though Cassie, that you still have to beat my team to get to the finals."

"Oh I haven't forgotten Rei," smiled the lilac eyed girl. "In fact, I just wanted to explain why it is my team will be showing you no mercy tomorrow… I'm not trying to sound cocky - I know your team will be difficult to beat, but we are determined to play against Kai's team in the finals."

"I see… but you still have to rely on the BBA loosing today,"

"I know…" she replied solemnly. "As much as I do want Tyson to win… I don't think he'll be able to, the other team has too much of an advantage. If the Demolition Boys have been spying on them too, then the BBA will have to completely change their attack strategy to surprise them…"

"Tyson still has a few tricks left up his sleeve though Cass,"

"Maybe so, but do the rest of his team? As much as I know, they are good bladers, but there's still something that makes me doubt their chances against the rest of the Demolition Boys. They creep me out, there's something… evil about them…"

The other two nodded in agreement. Both had experienced the full wrath of that team.

"Anyway I must get back to my team now guys. See you soon! I look forward to our battle Rei,"

"Me too Cassie, me too…"

* * *

"3…2…1… Let them Rip!"

"Go Strata Dragoon!"

"Attack Wolborg"

Sparks flew as the two blades crashed violently into one another. Tala's silver blade pulled back as Daichi began his approach. Carefully Tala observed the smaller boy's attack.

'_Time to see if Boris's plan will work'_

"Strata attack!"

A smirk appeared on the Russian's lips as Wolborg effortlessly evaded each move.

"Hey! What's the big idea? You're supposed to be battling here, not chickening out!" cried Daichi

No matter how hard the smaller boy tried, his attack was always met with a more powerful counter-attack.

'_Boris' plan is working like magic,'_ thought Tala. _'I can dodge every move Daichi makes and hit him back with twice as much power…all I need now is to wait for Strata Dragoon to run out of power and then victory will be mine.'_

"Why isn't Daichi having any effect chief!" cried Tyson in desperation.

"Tyson there's no need to yell… but I can see why you're frustrated, it seems that Tala has memorised every one of Strata Dragoon's attacks and found a way to counter-attack them all! I'm afraid at this rate, Daichi will simply wear himself out before he even makes a mark on Wolborg…"

Tala smirked

'_I guess they're cleverer than they look. No matter, it's too late for them to help their friend now.'_

"So you ready to give up yet?" asked the red haired Russian

"Ha! No way, you haven't beaten me yet Tala. Go Strata Dragoon!"

"Fool, you can't beat me! Wolborg!"

Once again the two blades went through the same process whereby Wolborg managed to counter attack every one of Strata's attacks. Tala yawned.

"This is starting to bore me…"

'_Now's my chance'_ thought Daichi, _'right when he least expects it,'_

"Strata Dragoon! Volcano Eruption!"

Tala almost choked, his eyes widened in shock.

"Wha? B-but that's not one of your attacks!"

"Correction, it wasn't one of my attacks… but now it is! Surprise! This'll teach you to spy on me! Go Strata!"

The purple blade began to spin rapidly that it soon became invisible. Tala looked onwards not knowing quite what to expect next. Suddenly Daichi's blade emerged from the ground directly beneath Wolborg, propelling the silver blade out of the stadium.

It landed on the ground, motionless, just in front of its owner. Tala fell to his knees, letting out a small growl. Daichi merely stuck out his tongue before returning to his cheering team.

* * *

"Way to go Daichi, put 'em there pal! That was a great battle!"

"Thanks Tyson! Nice acting by the way! Now you have something to live up to!" replied the boy cheekily.

"Hey it'll be no problem!"

"Tyson I wouldn't be cocky if I were you," interrupted Kenny. "Your battle against Kai will decide who goes onto the finals… at the moment we're at a tie…"

"I hear ya chief! Don't worry, I'm the man for the job!"

* * *

"You lost Tala," replied the man in a dark tone that sent shivers down the boy's spine.

"I know Sir… I'm sorry, it seems you're plan was as successful as we had hoped,"

"Are you accusing my plan of being faulty?"

"O-Of course not sir…I just didn't expect them to know about the camera,"

"Well we all know why that happened… No doubt that girl warned them…"

Boris shot a cold glare towards Kai, who immediately looked away.

"I'm sorry sir… I've failed you again…" muttered Tala grimly

"You best just hope that Hiwartari wins the next round, other wise you _will_ regret everything…"

Tala gulped… This man was deadly serious. The purple haired man turned to their silent member of the team.

"Now Kai, you know what you have to do… Do not fail me…"

"Hnn," was his only reply

"Make sure you do everything exactly as I have instructed…"

The boy rose to his feet and walked to the stadium in silence.

"Kai? Are you listening? Kai! Do not go against what I said!"

Kai made no attempt at a reply, nor a sign that he had even heard the cruel man's words. A low growl escaped Boris as he watched the silent figure prepare for his match.

'_For you're friends sake Kai, you had better follow our plan.'_

* * *

Right then I think I'll leave this chapter there… I'm sorry to anyone who was expecting Kai and Tyson's battle in this one but I decide that it will fit better in the next chapter… oh and speaking of which I've already started writing it.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter… it wasn't great but hey ho! The next one will be much better, I promise! Please review any thoughts and feelings about it, and don't forget to check out **_What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You_**, cheers!

Wreckless Spirit


	39. Everyone has a choice Kai

Hello everyone, well I'm sorry I haven't updated in AGES, I don't know what happened, I guess there just wasn't enough time to get this chapter to you all earlier. Please forgive me!

Now then to my reviewers:

**Wind Archer:** Yes I believe cleverer is a word… at least it hasn't come up incorrect on spell checker! lol

**Kimkizna: **Yes "What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You" is another story. Its not one of mine – its by an author called Twincharm… it really good and she'd really like if other people could read it as well.

**Bladebreakers: **You shall find out what happened to Kai in this chapter!

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Please do read and review the story if you get chance to, Twincharm would like that I'm sure!

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Yay glad you liked the chapter!

**Ilovecake2: **Glad you liked the chapter style; this one will be similar with the commentary. I'm not going to camp because we don't tend to do things like that in England, but I'm glad you reminded me of that… at least I'll know why I won't have so many reviews lol. However I might not be able to update for a while… I'll explain it at the end of this chapter!

**SpiritualEnergy: **Aww that's very sweet of you to say all that! I'm glad you liked it so much!

Thank you to everyone else who reviewed, sorry I couldn't do a personal response to all of them but I'm running out of time.

Now to the story… a few people wondered what happened to Kai after the tape incident, and guess what? You're gonna find out. Now I think it might be helpful (only if you want to though) if you re-read the end of chapter 37 to refresh your memories about what happened – that just a suggestion. Anyways hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OCs and their Bitbeasts.

I'd also like to dedicate this chapter to all of those people affected by the London Blast attack on Thursday… My thoughts are with those families affected.

* * *

**Chapter 39: Everyone has a choice Kai**

Kai slowly made his way to the stadium, his head forever lowered to the ground. No one could see the torment held within his crimson orbs. For you see, Kai was contemplating Boris's last speech to him.

_**- Flashback Kai's POV-**_

The office door slowly creaked open. My time was up, thankfully I'd managed to watch enough of the tape to find out Boris had lied to me. I concluded to myself that was the only good part to this next scenario.

I dared not move, out of fear more than anything else… I knew what awaited me; I had seen how much Grandfather and Boris had disapproved of my actions. Tala's beating would be no where near as bad as what awaited me…

There was no point in trying to hide, I knew that as soon as the door began opening. Hiding only makes you look weak - in the eyes of Boris I'd be a coward to hide.

I wondered briefly whether I might be saved… it wasn't necessarily going to be Boris who came through the door. If it was either Brian or Spencer, then I could easily get passed them – it wouldn't be _that_ much of a challenge. However, if I _did_ escape then Boris would still brand me a coward… that wouldn't really bother me; after all I'd be a brave coward if anything, for managing to tackle down two of the Demolition Boys in order to be free. Besides which, I hardly think someone who manipulates children, by beating them, for the sake of some evil plan to rule the world, has the right to call me a coward… the word hypocrite springs to mind.

My heart sank however, when I realised I needn't have bothered with the 'what ifs' of this situation. Sure enough, there would be no chance of me even attempting to escape the person who had just entered the room… After all, I've tried all my life to run away from him, but failed miserably every time.

Cold grey eyes stared at me. I felt as if they were trying to drill their way into my mind, to haunt me - I've always been afraid of his eyes… I guess it must be psychological damage from when I was young.

He entered further into the room, never taking his eyes off me. I tried my best to remain cool, even though secretly I'm petrified of this man… yes the 'great Kai Hiwatari' can be afraid.

A smirk played on his lips… That was always a bad sign.

"I thought I'd find you here"

I remained silent, which obviously angered him slightly as his smirk wavered momentarily, but he quickly regained his composure. Gradually he made his way around the room, moving closer and closer towards me.

"Did you see anything you liked?" he asked whilst tapping the computer screen.

"…"

"I take that as a no…"

"…"

"Ah I see you managed to find the volume…"

"…"

"…It makes such better viewing with sound… don't you think?"

His smirk made my skin curl. I knew what he was trying to do; he was trying to break down my defences. He wanted me to scream or shout, anything that would show emotion… but in his eyes that would also show weakness… "Warriors do not show weakness" is what he used to say when we were young; I guess that's the reason I was always so cold to everyone… well, until I met Cassie at least.

Cassie…

My heart ached as I thought of what I'd done, but I didn't let him know that. Instead, my face was a blank canvas… I suppose Tyson would have called it something immature like my "Mr. Sourpuss" pose.

"You lied to me Boris…" I stated simply

"I did? I don't remember lying to you Kai… as I recall… I only showed you the tape; it was you who jumped to conclusions…"

"But you said…"

"I told you I had a video to show you, I also said I knew you had feelings for Cassie…"

"You said she was cheating on me!" I growled through grit teeth

"No…I told you that she was playing you for a fool. I didn't say _how_ she was doing that – you assumed it."

"But you implied…"

"Kai you really shouldn't be so quick to jump to conclusions, you're far too hasty about some decisions…"

"You tricked me Boris!"

"All I did was let you believe what your imagination came up with… nothing more, nothing less. If there's anyone to blame, then it is you Kai."

My body seized up when the thought struck me – he was right. All he had done was shown me the tape. It was I that presumed she had cheated on me; I was to blame for my actions… me.

I couldn't take this dose of reality. I felt weak, my knees gave way and I collapsed to the floor, silently cursing to myself. I could feel Boris's joy at my grief.

"What have I done?" I whispered

"That's a very good question Kai, one in which your Grandfather has been asking recently… what exactly _have_ you done? I hope you haven't endangered our plans Kai, because I will not tolerate that."

"I don't care about your stupid plans…"

Boris let out a menacing chuckle.

"Once again Kai, we'd already perceived you'd say such a thing. You're so predictable, it's pathetic."

He kicked me in the side and I let out a small groan.

"Nevertheless Kai, you will co-operate with me, otherwise your friends will suffer -especially Cassie."

"What? B-but you said – you said you wouldn't touch them if I obeyed you!"

"Ah but you haven't obeyed me, have you? Remember, the deal was to never speak to any of your _friends_ again… I believe you have already broken that promise…"

"B-but, that was your fault! You knew I'd confront Cassie! That's why you showed me the tape! I know you did!"

A smirk formed on Boris' lips as he folded his arms.

"You can't prove that. However, I _can_ prove that you went against our agreement."

I let out a low growl. Inside, however I was panicking… Boris was right, I couldn't prove that he'd tricked me, but Boris could use my 'treachery' against me… I had failed at the one thing I had constantly tried to do; protect my friends, but now they were in great danger.

Boris lifted my chin with his rough hand, his eyes piercing my own.

"No listen carefully Kai, you _will_ defeat Tyson in tomorrows battle. You _will_ use all your strength, and you _will_ show no mercy towards him. To help you, we have developed a new Dranzer that is twice as powerful as the old one, here."

He placed the cold beyblade into my right hand. For some reason I shivered; there was something evil about this blade.

"Now I expect you to use this tomorrow… It will be no match for Tyson's pitiful Dragoon, plus, it has a few surprises…"

I got up and carefully examined the beyblade, running my fingers along its smooth edge. I winced as the edge suddenly cut my finger. Blood trickled gently out of the new wound. I glared angrily at my arrogant coach; he seemed to be beaming with pride.

"Made from the strongest metal alloy known to man… it will simply shred Dragoon to pieces."

"It's not within the legal standards," I stated

"Your point?"

"I can't battle with it, I would be cheating if I did."

"You _will_ be using it tomorrow Kai, because if you don't, then I may just have to try my plan B."

"And that it?"

"Your friend Cassie has a _very_ powerful bitbeast… its power would certainly make us the strongest team in the world… I _could_ get Tala to take it from her…"

"No! You can't!"

Boris scoffed

"And why not?"

Once again I began to panic; I didn't want Boris to know of Cassie's situation, I didn't want to tell him just how close Cassie was to Patiere… I mean, if he knew what stealing her bitbeast could do to her… But then again, Boris isn't capable of murder... is he? Maybe telling him is the only way to save her.

"B-Because if you do she'll die!" I yelled

The purple haired Russian stopped in his tracks. He looked hard into my crimson eyes to look for traces of deceit, but found none. For a brief second he contemplated on the situation, before smirking.

"In that case, you know what you have to do Kai."

He immediately turned out of the room, leaving me with an awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. Suddenly I began to feel I had made things a whole lot worse.

_**- End Flashback -**_

**Normal POV**

Kai stood as silent as a statue before the beydish. His head was bowed, letting his bangs partially hide his eyes. He had a choice to make… to either use the illegal beyblade or risk endangering Cassie's life.

Either way his morals were being pushed to their limits.

He could hear Tyson busily preparing Dragoon, and figured he had better do the same. Kai was so absorbed with his blade that he failed to hear Tyson speaking.

"Hey Kai? Kai! KAI!"

The boy's head shot up

"What!" he snapped, there was something in his voice that showed Kai was tense.

"Err… I just wanted to know if you're ready."

A simple nod was all Jazz Man needed to get the battle underway.

"3…2…1…Let it rip!"

"Go Dragoon!"

The two beyblades landed in the dish; Dranzer remained in the centre whilst Dragoon circled it constantly. Tyson smirked.

"You up to something Kai," he commented

Kai made no effort to respond, he merely stood emotionless with his eyes closed. His mind was elsewhere. He had made his decision… but was it the right one?

"C'mon Kai, you gotta attack me sometime…"

No reply.

"Fine! Then I guess I'll just have to attack you instead! Go Dragoon."

The silver blade began it assault on Dranzer. However Dragoon simply rebounded off the stationary blue blade, which seemed completely unfazed by the attack.

* * *

"What!" Screamed Boris

"Sir what's wrong?" asked a concerned Spencer.

"Your captain had once again disobeyed me,"

"He has?" asked Brian.

"Yes, he is not using the new Dranzer that was specifically prepared for him."

"But how do you know that? You saw that Dranzer was unaffected by Tyson's attack… surely that means he has…"

"If Kai had been using the new Dranzer, then Dragoon would have been shredded to pieces when it attacked. Therefore you can assume Kai has once again gone against my orders."

Just then, Tala saw something sparkle on the far end of the bench. He smirked when he realised just what it was.

"Your suspicions are correct sir… Look what I found."

* * *

Tyson growled. No matter how hard Dragoon attacked, Dranzer remained strong and unaffected.

"Should have known your team would have tried something like this Kai… but I never thought you'd be part of something so low."

Kai's eyes snapped open.

"Don't lecture me Tyson… you don't know all of the facts."

"Maybe not, but I do know this; I know how you're team has secretly been recording everyone else. How you've used this to over come our every strategy… how you've betrayed you friends…"

"I had no choice."

"Everyone has a choice Kai… but only the strong realise it, the weak simply follow orders, no matter how corrupt they are."

"Don't you dare imply I'm weak Tyson! You don't know how many times I've had to disobey Boris in order to keep you and the others safe… How I'm disobeying him this very second, and risking everything in doing so. I could have used a blade today that would have guaranteed me victory, but I chose not to. Do you know why?... It's because I don't believe in cheating… Like you, I'm trying to prove to Boris that there are other ways to win… that _I_ can win honestly. If only you knew how much trouble I'll be in for giving you a fair battle…"

"Well that's _very_ noble of you Kai, but it still doesn't justify what your team did."

"Maybe not, but I'm trying to redeem myself by doing this fairly… Go Dranzer!"

"Dragoon!"

The two blades clashed with one another. Slowly but surely Dranzer gained the upper hand.

"Dranzer, Fire Assault!"

A fiery haze appeared around the blue blade that quickly covered the whole of the dish. The flames began to spiral upwards as Dranzer's speed increased. Both boys had to shield their faces from the intense heat emitted from the dish. As soon as the flames reached the top of the stadium, they ceased.

Tyson eagerly searched the dish for Dragoon, but found only a lone Dranzer spinning in the centre. Looking to the floor he spotted his blade a few feet away. He was too shocked to do anything but pick up his beloved blade. Kai observed his old friend as he summoned back Dranzer.

For a brief second they made eye contact, before Tyson broke it, to look down at Dragoon.

"I'm sorry Tyson, but I had to win… everyone's safety depended on it."

Tyson watched as Kai make his way back to Boris. He noticed how Kai had quickly glanced at Cassie, who sat behind the BBA Revolution's bench; and how sadness had filled those usually cold eyes. Although Tyson didn't understand everything he knew one thing… it hadn't been Kai's choice to cheat, that, was the work of Boris.

* * *

Well I hope you all enjoyed that chapter… I had fun writing it! Now then I may not be able to update for a while; it all depends on how fast I can write.

You see I'm away all next week for a Biology field course… and well I'm only going to have a few days from when I come back before I'm off again. You see I'm going for an operation on the 20th to get rid of my tonsils that have been causing me so much grief over the past few months.… I should be back home the next day providing everything is ok, but I don't know if I'm able to get to the computer or not. I'll try my best!

I know what will happen in the next chapter… It's not the battle, but its something I've been planning to happen for a long time!

Please review and I'll update as soon as I can. To everyone who is going away for summer, "Have fun!"

Wreckless Spirit


	40. Attack of the Cats

Heya everyone. Ok I lied, at the end of the last chapter I said there wouldn't a the battle in this one… however it was only after I posted it, that I realised I was a chapter ahead of myself and this one would need to be the match between Team Twilight and the White Tigers. Therefore this particular chapter won't be the one I have been waiting to write about for a while… which is part of the reason why its taken so long to update this one. You see I lost inspiration for this chapter half way through, then realised it had to fit in with then next chapter and partially re-write this one again! Silly me, I know!

Anyways it's here now and it's longer than ever! So I hope you like it. This story was a year old yesterday (gasp) doesn't time fly? So as a special treat this chapter is like uber, uber long, then I hope you can all forgive me for not updating sooner! Now to my loyal reviewers, who I love to pieces.

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Your right, I do enjoy writing my stories. I must say I'm impressed you always managed to review my story even when you don't have an alert from it. I'm hopeless, I reply highly on the alert system as I always forget which stories I've actually read lol.

**Silent Storm 2000: **I'm glad you like this story, Thanks for the review!

**CrimsonSkye06: **I'm glad you liked finding out what happned to Kai. From now on it will be mostly based on him – though not directly if that makes sense? You'll see what I mean.

**Kimkizna: **Heya sorry for the long wait. Thanks for being patient!

**Bladebreakers: **All these questions lol! It's a shame a I can't answer them… well I could but that would spoil the story :P Aww your review was really sweet, I did have fun on my bio trip actually… my operation was not so fun – but its all over now. Thanks for being patient with me!

**Wind Archer: **I know what you mean, Kai rarely wins in the series even though he supposedly more powerful than Tyson. It's a shame really.

**lil' angelgrl: **Aww don't be too sad. Here have a chocolate bar – that should cheer you up!

**EvilTwinKae: **Thanks for bearing with me, sorry it's taken so long to update, hope you like it.

**HeartlessDevil: **Glad you liked it, hope you can say the same for this chapter too.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Heya, glad you still like the story. Oh by the way will you be updating your story any time soon? Sorry to nag, I just wondered that's all… I hope you are.

**SpiritualEnergy: **Yup I'm back for good now… You'll never get rid of me Muhahaha! Ahem, random stroke of madness over now. Thanks for reviewing!

**Keiara Rutherford: **Ooo two reviews from you, you must like the story! Well here's the update you wanted!

**angelfromynightmare33: **Wow I like your name. Thanks for the review.

**Diamond Core: **Yay your back! (glomps DC) I was afraid you'd stopped reading! Of course I forgive you for not reviewing – after all you certainly made up by reviewing all the chapters you missed. I loved reading all your reviews Diamond Core, because they're really constructive and you give a lot of positive feedback which eases my mind to know that people do enjoy reading what I write. I would appreciate it if you could review Twincharm's story, no one has so far and that got me kinda down. After all I know how it felt to have no one read my story at the beginning… but you were the one who got others to read it, which I've always been grateful for! I can never thank you enough! Thanks for all your support!

**Ilovecake2: **Yay you're back from camp! Hope you had fun. Ah let me explain about what Kai said. He told Tyson he was sorry not because he won as such, but mainly because he battled in a ruthless, no mercy style, if that makes sense? Cool you have an account now, about time :P Yes I do live in merry old England, its not bad, its been nice and warm recently so that's good. I didn't go to Live8 but I got to watch some of it one TV; I was annoyed because I had a party on that night so I couldn't watch it all! Yeah I'll add you my MSN but I don't use it often, plus cause of time differences I don't know if we'll ever be able to chat lol but emails sound good. Thanks for reviewing.

Ok so that's everyone mentioned I think. Ah Diamond Core reminded me of something in her last review. Last time I mentioned about Twincharm's story "What you don't know can't hurt you". Well I was sorta disappointed that no one at all reviewed her story after my plea. I don't want to nag at anyone, but if at least one person could read and review it, I'd be extremely grateful and I know she would too. Well that's all I have to say… on with the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeats.

* * *

**Chapter 40: Attack of the Cats**

The White Tigers sat anxiously in their team room. Today was the day they'd be facing Team Twilight in the semi-finals, it all boiled down to this… whoever won would go on to face the Demolition boys, the looser would gain nothing.

"Well today's the day Rei, you think we're ready?"

"I hope so Lee… We've all improved immensely since you last faced Cassie."

"I know its wrong guys, but I don't feel so confident - she managed to fight all of us last time – and she would have beaten us if she hadn't been injured…"

"That's true Mariah, but you won't be the one to face her – that's my job, I just hope I'm strong enough." Replied Rei

"You've battled her before right?" asked Kevin

"Yes…"

"Did you win?"

"Well that's not really the point Kevin… The point is I know how Cassie attacks, so at least I'll have an idea about what to expect from her."

"So you lost then" muttered the small boy

"Is all her team as strong as her?" Questioned Mariah

"They _are_ strong; I lost to Tariq last time…"

Rei glanced at the disheartened faces of his team.

"… But as I keep saying we've all improved since then. Hey guys don't worry – we'll be fine!"

"Rei's right," agreed Lee "We can't enter these battles in a negative mood – otherwise we'll have no chance in winning. A positive outlook will surely end in a positive outcome!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Team Twilight sat in a circle on their team room floor. The male members were busy discussing their line up; nonetheless Cassie sat to the side of the room, her mind elsewhere as she gazed out of the window.

"So its agreed then? Mika will go first against Mariah, then myself against Lee and finally – if needed in case of a draw – Cassie can play the deciding match against Rei."

"Yeah that's fine with me. It'll be easy to beat a girl!"

"Mika, when was the last time you beat Cassie again?"

"Err… well, ermm…"

Tariq smirked as his lavender haired friend tried to recall this fact.

"I believe the answer is never Mika – You've never beaten Cassie – no one ever has." Answered Tariq

"Why'd you ask me then? I mean that was a trick question!"

"My point, is you shouldn't be so cocky you'll beat Mariah just because she's a girl, not all girls are weak…"

Mika shrugged and scowled at his friend.

"Know it all." He muttered.

Daren rolled his eyes

"Now that you two have sorted out that little debate, is everyone agreed on today's battle plan?"

The two boys nodded, but no answer came from their female captain. Daren cleared his throat before speaking.

"Cassie? Do you think our line up is ok?"

The girl's concentration snapped back to reality, as she looked at the concerned faces of her team.

"Huh? What were you saying Daren?"

"I asked if the line up for today was alright with you."

"Oh, yeah, sounds good…"

The boys glanced worryingly at each other.

"Cassie, are you ok?" questioned Mika

"I'm fine..." she replied distantly as her attention turned back to looking out of the window.

"It's just you seem a little distracted," added Tariq

"I'm thinking…"

"Oh,"

Daren gave the other two boys a look indicating "let's give her some peace". As they made their way to exit the room, Cassie began to speak again.

"Did you see the way Kai looked at us?"

The three boys stopped at the doorway.

"What?" Asked Daren

"Yesterday, just after he beat Tyson he looked at us… did you see?"

Mika and Tariq decided it was best to let Daren deal with this, so they continued on making their way out. Daren closed the door and made his way to sit beside the lilac eyed girl.

"Erm sorta,"

"He looked so sad…" replied the girl softly

"What makes you say that?"

"His eyes – he looked like he was apologising to me,"

"Well he should do really, I mean you did nothing wrong, yet he still accused you…"

"Do you think he found out the truth? That Boris had tricked him?"

"Possibly, if that's what happened… He did make that speech on how he wasn't listening to Boris' instructions."

"I hope so, but I'm not the only one Kai should apologise to. How's your jaw now?"

"Still a bit sore." Admitted the boy as he rubbed his jaw line.

"The bruising's gone down."

"Yeah… one thing's for sure, Kai can certainly pack a punch… was definitely the most painful one I've received…"

"It's the only one you've ever received" smirked Cassie

"It's not!" protested the boy

"Daren, don't try and trick me, I've known you all my life and never once have I seen you in a fight – you always said violence wasn't the answer…"

"Well… I err… You know that makes me sound like a wimp right?"

"No it doesn't. It makes you sound sensible."

"Same thing."

The girl scowled at her friend.

'_Men!_' she thought '_Always worried about their male egos…_'

"Well I guess we'd better be making our way to the stadium now, our match is soon."

As the blonde boy began to make his way to the door, he felt a hand grab firmly onto his wrist.

"Daren…"

Puzzled green eyes met soft lilac ones.

"Don't underestimate the White Tigers. When I last battled them… they were strong and I'm pretty sure with Rei back on their team their will have improved even more so. It's likely that Rei's warned them you use ambush attacks, so Lee will be waiting for you. He's not one to be messed with… He'll take full advantage of any mistakes you make…"

For a split second Daren processed all of the advice his friend had told him. His face concealed a serious expression as he stood up straight.

"Then I won't make a mistake," he replied simply. "Jelena I know how much this match means to you. I know you want us to be the ones who face Kai's team, but now it's my turn to dish out advice; don't let your emotions cloud your judgement. Your determination to face Kai in the finals may lead you to make rash decisions which could risk your victory. Focus on today's match, and deal with Kai's when the time comes."

Cassie stared wide-eyed at her friend as he walked confidently away.

"You called me Jelena…" she began, but was cut off when her friend met her with a deep gaze.

"I know I did. To me you always will be Jelena - _my shining light_…"

He left without saying another word, just missing the solemn girl whisper,

"But I'm not yours…"

* * *

A tense yet excitable crowd cheered as Jazzman entered the ring.

"Good evening ladies and gentle – boys and girls! Do we have a treat for you tonight! As scheduled, Team Twilight and the White Tigers will battle head to head for the last chance to be in the final match against the deadly Demolition Boys. Can the Koreans pull yet another victory? Or will Rei Kon's team break their winning streak? Only time will tell… Now let's bring out the teams!"

Both team entered on cue, welcomed by an accompaniment of deafening screams and applause. This would have been intimidating sight at the best of times for any competitor, but the fact that it was the deciding match for the finals, just added to the pressure each one of them was feeling.

"Just stay relaxed," reassured Cassie. "You'll all do fine as long as you don't panic,"

"This must be the biggest crowd I've ever battled in front of," gasped Mika

"It's a good job you don't get stage fright then," smirked Tariq

The lilac eyed girl smirked at her friends. She gazed casually to her opposition's side, noticing that Rei too was examining the amount of spectators. He stopped when he met her gaze. They smiled in their usual friendly way; which almost seemed wrong for both of them, considering the current circumstances. Soon enough they would have to temporarily discard their friendship for the sake of their teams, but it had to be done.

'_Then again_,' thought Cassie. '_I won't have to battle if Mika and Daren both win their matches_,'

The thought seemed appealing; mainly because she always hated having to abandon friendships for the sake of a game, even if the game was one she loved dearly. Memories of her lecturing Kai, explaining how Tyson's friendship out valued winning their last tournament, flooded her mind. The prospect of becoming such a hypocrite made her disgusted with herself. It was only a game… but then she remembered the reason why she'd become so passionate to win – Kai.

In her heart of hearts she wanted to prove to Boris, and herself, that her team could beat those cheating Demolition Boys. Once that was over with, then things could go back to the way they were; but then again, was that possible? She didn't even know where she stood with Kai anymore. Did he still think she'd cheated one him? It was impossible to tell without confronting him, but that too seemed highly unlikely to happen any time soon.

Either way, these thoughts continually floated around in Cassie's mind. Blocking all other matters away from her reach; all she could concentrate on was the issue of Kai. It consumed her, withdrawing her from reality. In some ways it was a release from everything that was happening around her, but in another sense her thoughts were slowly able to run wild; all of her fears and doubts surrounding Kai became questions she could not answer. She loved him more than anything in the world, but confusion over the tape incident made her doubt his feelings towards her, and that in itself tore her apart.

Daren was right when he suggested emotions could cloud her judgement. Cassie knew it was possible, but initially refused to acknowledge they could affect her. Now she wasn't so confident, and that in turn lead to her questioning her own abilities and strength. It was a vicious circle which gradually surrounded Cassie in negative aura. Sadly for her though, she suffered in silence, never voicing her thoughts for fear that her team too may think less of her. Everyone saw her as their strong leader, their unbeatable captain who always knew what to do; but now she was at a loss with Kai, and that troubled her.

Did even Daren doubt her now? His last lecture implied it… but was it intentional? Maybe he was just trying to help…

"Err, Cassie?"

The girl jumped slightly as Tariq gently placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey you ok?" his voice hinting concern

Cassie mentally cursed to herself as she realised she'd once again got lost in her own thoughts.

"I'm fine. Are we starting yet?"

"Mika's just setting up now. You sure you're ok? You seemed to have zoned out for a second, and you look awfully pale…"

A thought suddenly struck Cassie, she'd made a mistake last time she'd zoned out.

"Mika shouldn't battle," she blurted out

"What!" Now he was completely confused

"You should take his place. Mika's blade – it's too slow for Galux. Your Nuray will be far better suited for this battle."

"But isn't it too late to swap?"

"Not if Mika hasn't already walked up to the dish,"

She gasped as she saw Mika approaching the stadium, without a moment passing she bolted towards him.

"Mika! Wait!"

"Huh?" the boy stood confused as he captain raced towards him

He waited patiently as she caught her breathe again.

"You shouldn't battle," she panted

"What?"

"Trust me, Chandra will loose… Galux is too fast, she'll overwhelm you."

"What going on?" demanded Daren as he strode up to the two, closely followed by Tariq.

"Cassie thinks Tariq should replace me,"

"What? But you agreed on our line up…"

"I've changed my mind. Please just trust me," she pleaded. "Tariq will stand a better chance against Mariah – Nuray's agility can match hers."

"But I haven't prepared for this match,"

"Tariq you'll be fine. Just remember what you did when you battled Rei last time."

"Are you sure you'll be ok?" asked Daren

"Well I guess so… I'll give it my best shot. Is that alright with you though Mika? I know you were looking forward to this battle…"

"I was," admitted the boy. "But on the other hand I want us to win this tournament. I trust Cassie's judgement,"

"So it's settled then, I best go tell Jazz Man of the change."

The petite girl made her way to the stadium and whispered the news to Jazz Man. A startled expression was his first reaction, before talking to someone via his head set – presumably to confirm that it was possible to change who was playing in the match this late on. With a nod, Cassie made her back to her friends.

"It's done" she said simply

"Ladies and Gentlemen! In a change to tonight's schedule, Team Twilight have requested to swap their first blader Mika for their reserve Tariq."

From the mumbles of the crowds, it was clear that everyone was surprised by this decision, especially the White Tigers.

"They what!" exclaimed Lee

"Why would they do that?" asked Kevin

"I don't know…" replied Rei. "Unless…"

"Unless what?" questioned Lee

"Unless Cassie's believes that Mariah's speed would over power Mika's blade… In which case, Tariq would be better suited to battling in this match. He's much more nimble plus she must have remembered how he beat me last time…"

"Well what do I do now Rei?" asked an anxious Mariah. "I'd been preparing to battle Mika – my whole strategy was moulded around what you told me about him… I don't know much about Tariq's blade."

"Don't worry Mariah, it'll be ok. Just remember the time I explained my match with Tariq… Do you remember?"

"Well, yes… I guess."

She felt an encouraging hand lay upon her shoulder. Slowly she looked up to meet the smiling face of her friend, Rei's smile always managed to reassure her.

"You'll be fine,"

"I hope so,"

"3…2…1… Let It Rip!"

"Go Nuray!"

"Attack Galux!" screamed Mariah

The pink blade began its quick assault on Tariq's midnight blue blade. Unfortunately for Mariah, Tariq was able to dodge, each time she attacked. This mimicked Galux desperately trying to catch the bat Bitbeast with its claws; but Nuray simply flew out of the way each time.

"Hmm this scenario seems familiar," pondered Tariq with a smirk.

**- Flashback -**

Driger was now deep into a battle with a bat bitbeast named Nuray. However the match was not going quite to plan as far as Rei was concerned. Each time Driger went to attack Nuray, the bat would fly out of Driger's reach.

"Kitty can't get me can he?" teased Rei's opponent.

"Batty can't battle can he?" retorted the neiko jin.

The hooded figure grit his teeth.

"Nuray Vampire Bite!"

The bat zoned in on the tiger and sunk its fangs into Driger.

"No Driger! Shake him off!"

Driger efforts were in vain, Rei's silver blade began to slow as the bat drained Driger of his energy. Eventually it was all over as the silver blade lay on its side, motionless.

**- End Flashback -**

"That maybe so but this outcome will be different." Retorted the pink haired girl.

"Oh really? We'll just see who can last the longest like this shall we?"

"Can Tariq keep this up for much longer?" asked Daren

"He should be able to – if he concentrates enough," replied Cassie but even she seemed doubtful, her eyes were fixed on his blade, watching every move intently."

"But even if he does, he still needs to have enough energy to finish her off," added a concerned Mika

"He still has his moonstone," stated Cassie "…There's still hope."

It seemed to everyone that Galux was being overwhelmed by the swift Nuray, who was able to avoid every move she made.

"Rei was right, you can't fight." stated Mariah

"What do mean?" asked an angered Tariq

"Well all you do is fly away – you don't fight. I bet you can't even attack, either that or you're scared to…"

"We'll see! Nuray you know what to do! Vampire Bite!"

Mariah prepared to be attacked once again, however this time as Nuray swooped in, Galux made a quick turn and knocked the bat with a clean blow from its massive paw.

The teal haired boy winced as his blade smashed into the side of the dish. When she wanted to, Mariah could have a mighty powerful counter attack. But she was not fished there. Taking full advantage of the stunned bat she ordered her final assault on the blue blade.

"Galux, Cat Scratch Attack!"

It all happened in a blink of an eye. One second Nuray was fine and then the next he was practically cut to pieces but the swift mountain cat.

"No!" yelled Tariq as he blade slowly came to halt.

"And the winner is Mariah!"

A solemn Tariq stepped forward to reclaim his blade from the dish, before returning to his team bench.

After close inspection he could tell his blade had severe damage from his opponents attack. So much so, that part of the attack ring had been broken off, causing it to lose all balance thus resulting in his loss.

"She's completely trashed my blade!" complained Tariq

"And you were the one who warned _me_ that girls aren't weak,"

"Oh shut up Mika, I wasn't prepared for her little tricks! She probably intended for me to attack her like that. Girl's are too sneaky."

"Ha! Tariq we always are," replied Cassie smugly. "Its one of our grate traits."

Her remark was only met by an inaudible grumble causing her to grin.

"I shouldn't haven't lost," he growled

"No, you shouldn't have." Stated Daren

All light heartiness that had previously surrounded the team disappeared immediately.

"Give him a break Daren he tried his best…" reasoned Cassie

"He didn't concentrate though… If he'd thought about it he would have used his moonstone – that would have certainly guaranteed him victory."

"Not necessarily, they give us more power yes, but power alone won't lead to victory. Mariah's attack happened so quickly, he wouldn't have had time to use it even if he'd wanted to."

"As captain, I thought _you_ would have minded at a defeat."

"Daren, we haven't lost yet… you still have your battle and then there could be a final deciding match – it's still possible to win."

"We may have won though if you'd let Mika play,"

"Daren, as captain I made the decision I felt best. If it was the wrong choice, I apologise, but I think the outcome would have been the same, if not worse, even if Mika had been the one to battle."

"Yeah, I have to side with Cassie on that. Personally I don't think Chandra would have stood a chance, he'd have been slow to even challenge Galux." Added Mika. "Either way there's no point in lingering on what's already done. Daren just make sure you win your battle and we'll be fine. When it comes to the deciding match, Cassie's bound to win, she always does!"

"You'd better go," smiled Cassie. "Lee's already waiting for you… remember what I warned you of though…"

"Likewise," replied the boy darkly

Cassie's smile immediately faltered as she remembered his words. Momentarily, her eyes skimmed the crowd searching for someone in particular. Sure enough he was there, surrounded by his team. Kai's face was unreadable, his closed eyes and crossed arms however indicated he was extremely bored, either that or tense.

He must have sensed someone was watching him, because his eyes instantly shot open. Somehow he'd managed to pinprick exactly where the person was so he was staring directly at Cassie almost instantaneously. She gasped slightly in surprise, his powerful gaze causing her to do nothing but return the stare.

Unbeknown to them, Boris had noticed this connection between the two and immediately went over to Kai. As his tall figure loomed over Kai, the boy broke eye contact from Cassie.

She observed how the man said something to her boyfriend, to which Kai protested greatly to. She continued to watch as the man bet down and whispered something to the boy, this time resulting in a different response from him – he seemed growl and challenge whatever Boris had said to him. It appeared that Boris had replied to Kai's comment, because suddenly the boy's eyes went wide in terror. He looked desperately at Cassie once last time before turning away, shaking his head in defeat.

Her eyes followed Kai as he got up and silently walked out of the stadium. She stood there confused for a second, before her gaze returned to where Kai had been. Next to his empty seat sat a smirking Tala. His icy eyes met hers instantaneously in a penetrating gaze. She shivered and quickly turned away as his smile developed into a menacing grin. It was one that defiantly gave her the creeps; refusing to let him get the better of her, she concentrated solely on Daren's match from then on.

"Right then folks the White Tigers are one nil up, so if they win this match they _will_ be the ones to face the deadly Demolition Boys…. Now, to make things more interesting Mr Dickenson has requested a specialist dish be used for the remaining matches."

"What!" cried Lee

"Afraid you'll lose now?" smirked Daren

It was at that point that the 'Amazon Jungle' stadium was revealed. The once tense Lee, relaxed.

"Oh far from it," he boasted. "I think you'll find I'm right at home here."

"As am I" replied the calm blonde

"3…2…1…Let It Rip."

"Go Galeon!"

"Go Kamaria!"

Both boys got stuck in straight away and called out their Bitbeasts as they weaved between the dense forest. They attacked each other several times but neither seemed to gain an advantage over the other.

Lee's strength seemed to be draining away from him, whereas Daren had barely broken out in a sweat.

"This is beginning to get tiresome," he yawned. "Are you even attacking me?"

"How dare you insult me!" yelled Lee

'_No!_' screamed the voice inside Cassie's head. '_I told you not to anger him!_'

"Galeon Spiral Lightening!"

The lion bitbeast came in for the kill, but the Tasmanian Devil quickly dodged the attack by climbing up one of the nearby trees. From there it jumped further into the forest, disappearing from view.

"What the- where'd he go?" asked a shocked Lee

"Kamaria Ambush Assault!"

Out from no where the black and white blade slammed into Lee's black one. The force was immense and sent Galeon crashing into several trees, causing the Chinese boy to gasp in shock.

"Oh that's nothing," replied a smug Daren. "In fact, I've barely started. Kamaria attack!"

Once, twice, three times it struck Galeon, each move lethal in its own right. Soon it was all over, and Lee's blade lay motionless on the ground.

"Nice battle," said Daren in an airy term that emitted his cockiness.

He caught his blade with ease before walking back to his team.

"I thought you said he'd be hard to beat," stated Daren making sure Lee was able to hear him.

Cassie scowled at her friend, he could be so arrogant it was unbelievable!

"He's a powerful blader." She replied through gritted teeth

"Not compared to me."

"Then you're lucky," she relied flatly before making her way to her match.

So now it came down to this. The teams were at a draw so everything depended on the two captains. Cassie made here way confidently towards her place, her long black hair swaying loosely as she walked. Her knee high boots clinked along the hard floor echoing around the stadium. A few guys whistled as she walked by but she ignored them. Her mind was focused entirely on this match.

Rei gave her a welcoming smile as they faced each other, which she returned politely. As they prepared their blades, Rei called out to her.

"Hey Cassie?"

"Yeah Rei?"

"Remember the pact we all made on the first day?"

"Of course," she replied smiling

"Forever Friends yeah? No matter what?"

"Forever Friends," she agreed

"3…2…1…Let It Rip!"

It was far harder to navigate their blades around the forest dish than both bladers had initially anticipated. On a few occasion both had to make a last minute change of direction to avoid colliding with a tree.

The match was a challenge, but an enjoyable one all the same.

"Hey Rei, this is kinda fun."

"I agree, it reminds me of training in my village."

"Me too."

As the match progressed it was clear that the two blades were closely matched in skill. There was never a point where one seemed to be winning. It was Rei that first summoned Driger from his bit piece. This was soon followed by Cassie calling out Patiere.

For ages the two big cats attacked one another, but to spectators it seemed they were doing so in a playful manner. Exactly like how domestic cats play fight with one another.

After a while Rei began laughing softly.

"What's wrong?" asked the girl

"I've just realised your toying with me… you're not even trying to attack me."

"I could say the same for you,"

"I'm enjoying the moment… I haven't had this much fun in a battle for ages. I think Driger is enjoying it too, he's in full control at the moment and not even wanting to fight with Patiere."

"Yeah I know what you mean, I'm just letting Patiere do whatever she wants to…"

"It's a shame this has to end." Added the boy sadly

"I know… but one of us has to win. Our teams are counting on us to go to the finals."

"And face Kai,"

For some reason Cassie flinched when Rei said Kai's name. She looked sad for a second but quickly regained her composure.

"Play times over now…" she smiled. "Think ya can beat me?"

Rei smirked at his friend

"I'll give you a run for you money. Driger Tiger Claw!"

"Patiere dodge it quickly!" cried Cassie

The black panther was just a second to slow to clear Driger's attack, and the tigers claws just caught its back left leg, causing the beast to roar in pain. Cassie winced as the wound appeared on her left leg too. Rei looked concerned and was about to say something but she interrupted him.

"Don't worry, it's just a scratch. I won't let you get me next time. Patiere, Midnight Pounce!"

On command the panther leapt and pinned Driger to the floor. What followed next was a competition between the two cats rolling around trying to see who could pin the other down for the longest. It was a real attack of the cats.

"Patiere pull back, Jungle Jump!"

"Driger don't let her escape!"

The tiger jumped onto the retreating panther, sinking in its claws to halt it. Three claw shaped wounds appeared on Cassie back, causing her to grimace in pain. Blood seeped through the cuts staining her white dress, but Rei was unable to see this… However her team could, they looked at one another anxiously.

"Patiere you have to get free!" cried Cassie

Obediently Patirer somehow managed to get free of Driger's grasp. The two beats stood aggressively at each side of the stadium.

"I have to finish this now," she whispered. "Anymore wounds and I'll be too weak to fight."

In a last attempt Cassie reach to her dress pocket and pulled out her precious moonstone. Her mind focused she began chanting the sacred words of her village.

"Quen-quailo nee-gano, cu-rundey naythai…"

The small stone began to glow until it surrounded her body. At the last moment she cried.

"Patiere! Moonlight Furry!"

A blinding white light surrounded Patiere as it made her last assault on Driger. The same light flooded the stadium as the two blade crashed together, making everyone shield their eyes from its brightness.

As the light subsided Rei's blade lay immobile on the ground… Patiere stopped moments after.

"Cassie wins!" yelled Jazz Man

The crowd went wild.

Cassie picked up Patiere and turned to Rei who was inspecting his blade.

"I guess a congratulations is in order," he smiled

Cassie nodded gratefully

"Thanks for the great battle,"

"Same to you… Sorry about your leg."

"No need to apologise. That's attack always seems to get me," replied the girl half heartedly.

"Good luck in the finals Cass."

Rei put his hand supportively on her shoulder, but quicky pulled it back when she winced at his touch. He stood confused for a moment until he felt something cold on his hand.

Bringing his hand up, his eyes went wide with shock as he saw blood cover his finger tips. Guilt consumed him.

"I- I did that?" he asked in a whisper

"It's nothing," she replied with a shrug. "Just a scratch,"

She smiled one last time before walking back to her team. Not noticing Rei's face pale as he saw the full extend of her injury. As Cassie approached her team, she suddenly felt light headed. Her knees suddenly gave way andshe collapsed on the ground with a thud.

Confused and dizzy she heard Daren call out her name. Her last memory was seeing a pair of feet running towards her before she blacked out… then darkness.

* * *

Woohoo I finished that chapter now. Yay! About time too! Well I hoped you liked it, it's definitely the longest I've even wrote. I hope some of you managed to spot the references to various other chapters within it – I tried my best to incorporate a lot of previous information in it, just to refresh your memories etc.

Hopefully the next chapter will be up a lot sooner than this one… after all it is the one I've been looking forward to writing for some time! Please review if you can, I appreciate all the comments you make. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Until next time…

Wreckless Spirit


	41. Happy?

Hello everybody! Look I've managed to update within a week! Go me! Lol… Ah the summer holidays are great, I've had plenty of time to write this chapter. Now then I would have uploaded this instalment yesterday but for some reason the internet wasn't working. Tut, I dunno! Technology these days!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time, now for my custom replies:

**lil' angelgrl: **Heya, look I updated sooner this time lol.

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Happy anniversary to you too then! Ehehe I agree with you on Aki-chan; tell you what, after this story's over by all means send her to Boris – its about time he should suffer!

**BloodyShadows: **I'm glad you liked the way Rei was in the last vchapter. He's sweet isn't he? Thanks for reviewing!

**silent-lucidity: **Aww, thank you. You may have a wait a while for any Kai and Cassie scenes… but hey you never know what could happen there!

**Ilovecake2: **Right then, you may have a surprise in this chapter – that's all I'm gonna say :P

**Junko: **Heya, I hope you got my email answering your question. If you haven't then my email thingy is mucked up again! Well the answer will be no concerning the machine, but something else will happen – but that's a secret lol.

**Silent Storm 2000: **Yeah it was Rei, or Driger to be precise, who caused the wound. However I must stress that he didn't mean to do it, it only happened because Cassie feels exactly the same amount of pain as Patiere. (chapter 9 explains why)

**SpiritualEnergy: **Yup I'm back and here to stay!

**CrimsonSkye06: **You won't find out what Boris said in this chapter, however it is defiantly in the following chapter – I know that for sure because I've already written that part of the story lol. Hope you enjoy it.

**Bladebreakers: **You shall find out in this chapter… though you too may be surprised by the end.

**I.love.Goku.and.chester: **Ooo a name change lol. Of course I forgive you! Silly Billy, at least you do review – unlike some people (I know you're out there!) I'm glad you still like the story!

**Diamond Core: **Wow its an essay! Lol that is sure one long review there, I really don't deserve all that praise lol; you're too kind! Now then all the questions concerning Cassie and Daren will be answered in this chapter, however all the Kai, Boris and Tala questions will be in the next chapter. I hope you like this chapter, I personally don't think it's as well written as the last one, but hey ho!

**Soullesswinds: **That's alright, take as long as you want, I'll wait

**Kimkizna: **Well you'll find out about Cassie in this chapter, as for Kai though, I'm afraid you'll have to wait until the next chapter!

**HeartlessDevil: **All will be revealed very soon…

**AnimeGirl329: **Wow you read it all in a day? Good on you! Well I suppose this must be a quick update to you lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks for reviewing!

**Plushie Ray: **Yeah I feel bad for poor Rei, he didn't mean it to happen after all.

Now that's everyone who reviewed, a big thanks to you all. I hope you all like this chapter, I'm kinda scared that you won't lol. Ah well I shall see.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeats!

* * *

**Chapter 41: Happy?**

When Cassie finally awoke, she found herself looking up at the ceiling in her hotel room. Hastily, she tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot up her spine. It was painful, but bearable; so she grit her teeth as she continued the manoeuvre she'd already began. When satisfied she was now comfortable, Cassie inspected her room.

Her curtains were drawn, but the small lamp at the far left of the room prevented her being surrounded in darkness. From this she deducted in must be at least late evening, if not the middle of the night. A bunch of flowers, in a vase, sat neatly upon her bedside table. Their sweet aroma filled with room with a strong floral scent.

'_Must be from Daren_' she thought

It was then that she noticed that among the purple bouquet lay a pure white lily – her favourite flower. Attached to it, a note read: _for my shining light, get better soon._

'_Definitely from Daren'_

She rolled her eyes and continued to scan the room. Everything else seemed normal.

'_The others must be training… ah well better make the most the peace – I'm sure they'll come back soon,_'

With a sigh she closed her eyes, enjoying the silence. She was on the verge of sleep when a loud childish voice suddenly asked.

"Feeling better?"

Cassie's eyes shot open to see a pair of brown eyes directly in front of her. The shock made her jump nearly five feet in the air.

"Jesus!" she screamed

The small boy shot back to his seat beside her bed immediately, a frown plastered all over his face.

"Mamma says it's bad to swear," mumbled the boy

Cassie inwardly groaned as she placed her head on her right hand, for support. She gripped the bed sheet with her left hand as she tried to calm her breathing.

"I'm sorry Ion… just – just don't do that again please, you scared me half to death,"

"Sorry,"

"Its ok," smiled the girl. "How long have you been here?"

"Long enough, I was getting bored. You sleep for a long time."

"Ha! That's rich coming from you."

The two playfully stuck their tongues at one another.

"Are you feeling better now Cassie?"

"A little… my back still hurts."

"I'm not surprised, it should do after what you pulled," answered a deep masculine voice.

All heads turned to the taller blond boy as he stood in the doorway.

"Daren!" cheered the young boy

"Heya squirt," smiled Daren

He picked Ion off the chair and sat on it himself, before letting Ion scramble back onto his lap.

"I'm not that little now. I am seven you know!"

"Yeah, yeah, anyway your mum's been asking for you. She wants you back at your room for tea or something."

"But I wanna stay with Cassie!" protested the small boy

"_Ion_ if your mum wants you back then you have to go. It's getting late. Don't worry you can see me tomorrow."

"Promise?"

"Promise. Now go before I get in trouble too."

With that, the small boy scurried out of the room. The two remaining teens sat in silence. Daren smiled warmly at the girl who wordlessly watched him.

"How you feeling?"

"I've felt better" admitted the girl. "But then again, I've felt worse too."

"Hmm, well everyone's been worried about you. You scared us back there."

The girl shuffled on the bed awkwardly.

"What happened? I don't remember much."

"Well, basically after your battle you collapsed… the doctors blame those wounds on your back. They said you'd lost a lot of blood and because you had exhausted yourself in that battle, then… well your body just shut down…"

"I see… is Rei ok?"

"He was distressed more than anything. He kinda blamed himself for letting Driger attack like that. He's been in everyday to see how you were doing… all of that lot have in fact."

"Every day? How long have I been unconscious?"

"Three days."

"What! It seemed like only three hours to me."

"Well it wasn't" sighed the boy. "You really worried us."

"I'm sorry,"

Then a worrying thought struck the girl.

"What about the finals?" gasped Cassie. "They should have been… yesterday? Did you play without me?"

Daren shook his head solemnly.

"No. Mr Dickenson has postponed the match until you're able to play. I'm not sure it that's a good thing or not though."

"What do you mean?"

Daren drew in a deep breath before continuing, unsure of exactly how to word his next speech.

"Cassie, you overwhelmed yourself last time. Your match with Rei put you endanger… I'm worried about you. Rei wasn't exactly pushing you to your extreme, yet you still got hurt."

"But that was only because of my link with Patiere. You know I feel exactly what she does." Insisted Cassie

"Yes I do, which is why I'm concerned. Cassie I've seen Kai battle… he's merciless, he won't hold back even against you. You could get seriously hurt if you play against him. I think it would be best if you just let…"

"What? Let you battle him?" snapped the girl

"Well yes."

A dark expression formed on Cassie's face. The girl sat back shaking her head not quite believing what she'd just heard. A menacing chuckle escaped from her lips. She turned to face her friend, her lilac eyes burning into his; they held a deadly message in them.

"Don't make me laugh Daren." She hissed. "You wouldn't stand a chance against Kai. You forget that Kai's practically unbeatable."

"I think you underestimate me…"

"No, I think it's you that underestimates me!" barked the girl. "Do you know how long I've waited for this match! Do have any idea how much I've prayed this day to come? Did you really think I'd stand down and let _you_ battle him?"

"Cassie there's no need to shout."

"Oh so you want to take that privilege away from me too!"

"Cassie, please I'm trying to do what's best."

"Well this isn't it! As captain, I decide who battles who; I'm facing Kai and that's final!"

"Ok, ok – you battle him. I was just trying to look after my shining light."

"I don't need looking after! And for the last time I'm not _your_ shining light!"

"What? But you've always…"

"I'm not _yours_; if I'm anyone's then I'm Kai's!"

"Oh yes. Cause he cares" replied Daren sourly. "I don't remember seeing him here when the others visited you,"

"Boris probably wouldn't let him!"

"If it had been me, no one would stop me from seeing my injured girlfriend."

"Well he's not you and I'm not your girlfriend – end of issue!"

"It must be, cause we wouldn't want Kai to seem in the wrong now would we? Look Cassie I've tried my best to like the guy, but he treats you like dirt! You know what? If I _was_ to battle him in the finals, then I'd make him pay for all he's put you through."

"Luckily for him, that's not gonna happen."

Daren shook his head and got up from his chair.

"If only you could hear yourself Cass… I've nothing left to say. I'll see you tomorrow."

Cassie scowled at her friend as he left without saying another word. How dare he even suggest she was unfit to battle Kai! That night she fell asleep, full of anger and hate.

* * *

The next morning Cassie felt slightly better - both mentally and physically. The doctors had finally agreed she was strong enough to leave her room. Upon hearing this she decided to meet all of the bladebeakers for a celebratory cup of tea at the BBA café.

They all seemed ecstatic that she was now on the mend. One by one, she greeted them all; Max, Tyson, Hilary, Kenny and finally Rei.

"I'm so sorry," he said in a low voice

"Rei, don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault."

"But it was me that caused it."

"I said don't worry about it – now do as I say," she warned

They both laughed light heartedly, and soon all the others were too.

Most of the morning was spent catching up on gossip and just generally chatting as friends do. Then the conversation turned to the finals.

"Its going to be in two days time," explained Cassie. "I should be ready by then."

"You looking forward to it?" asked Max

"Yeah, facing Kai will certainly be… interesting,"

"Ya I bet," replied Hilary.

Suddenly the group was greeted by a familiar voice.

"Hello boys and girls."

The group looked up and smiled at the elderly man.

"Hey Mr. D" beamed Tyson. "We were just talking about the finals."

"Were you now?" chuckled the man. "Are you all set Cassie?"

"Should be. I'm just psyching myself up to face Kai now."

The elder's face faltered, immediately his brow went into a crease.

"Has no one told you?" he asked

Cassie eyed the man suspiciously

"Told me what?" she asked slowly

"Oh my, they obviously haven't!" replied the man as he wiped his brow nervously. "Cassie my dear, I'm afraid there's been a change of plan as far as your battle's concerned."

"In what way?" demanded an emotionless Cassie

"The Demolition Boys have changed their line up. Tala has replaced Kai as captain… Therefore it won't be Kai you're facing in the finals."

"WHAT!"

* * *

Tariq, Mika and Daren were busy training, when their training room door slammed open.

"Did you know!" shouted their female captain who was obviously fuming with anger.

"What?" asked an honest Daren

"DID YOU KNOW!" asked the girl again as she stormed up to him. "Did you know that Kai's no longer captain of his team?"

The girl was practically shaking with rage.

"He's not?" asked a surprised Mika

"No! _Apparently_ Boris got tired of Kai disobeying him, so took away his right as captain. Tala's taken his place. So that means I'll be facing _him_ instead!"

She turned back to Daren and gave him a deadly glare that could almost match Kai's.

"Looks like you get your battle after all," spat Cassie. "I hope you happy!"

The furious girl stormed out of the room, not forgetting the slam the door shut on her way out. The boys flinched as the boom echoed around the training room. After a short silence, Mika decided to ask the question he'd been dying to ask.

"Daren? _Did_ you know about this?"

The blond boy turned to face his friend. His pine green eyes were full of surprise.

"No. No I didn't…"

* * *

Muahaha I'm sooo evil lol. Did anyone expect that to happen? Bet ya didn't! Well that's another chapter down, only… err 3 possibly 4 more to go. Then it's the end of the story. I don't know if I should do a sequel or not to this, what do you think? Yay or Nay?

Please review as it does encourage me to write faster! It would also cheer me up as I'm kind of down today – I got my exam results back this morning, they're not bad but they aren't great either lol. I look forward to any comments you may have.

Wreckless Spirit


	42. Manipulation

Heya Guys, now then I'm extraordinarily sorry that it has taken this long to update! There were two main reasons for the wait, one; I had some trouble writing Mika and Brian's battle as I don't know much about Brian's characteristics, and I've only ever seen one of his battle on TV which was short anyway – so I had to find out his moves etc (even though I made them up in the end lol), and two; I was secretly waiting for 20 reviews before updating (cheeky I know).

Anyways I gave up on reason number two, but I did get 19 for the last chapter altogether so can't complain lol.

Now then in this chapter, as promised, you all get to find out what happened to Kai – and why he is no longer captain – oo the suspense! But first a little hello to my lovely reviewers!

**I.love.Goku.and.chester: **Yup I guess she could make someone else captain if she wanted to… but then again that would kinda indicate to everyone that battling Kai was the only reason she entered the tournament and that just isn't true. Oh don't worry, you're not ruining the story – you're just using some good old common sense lol.

**lil' angelgrl: **Sorry its taken so long to review. If you have any ideas on a sequel I'd be happy to hear them – I'm kinda stuck on it!

**skyblue-tigerangel: **In this chapter you'll get to find out what happened to Kai, hope you like it!

**Silent Storm 2000: **Patience my friend… you'll find out if you're correct very soon, though not necessarily in this chapter…

**SpiritualEnergy: **Yay I'm glad someone has remembered about their necklaces! All will be revealed very soon – and yes, they do have a major role to play, but I shan't say why….

**Junko: **Hope you got the email in the end. Good job I told you what it said in my last reply though lol.

**Soullesswinds: **Heya, glad you liked the last chapter… I hope you will like this one, but I'm a little concerned it get a bit dull towards the end – see what you think.

**Kimkizna: **Glad you liked the chapter. Thanks for reviewing.

**Bladebreakers: **Lol well you'll find out all about Kai in this chapter. Hope you like it.

**CrimsonSkye06: **Well this update is sorta soon… ok it isn't, please forgive me!

**silent-lucidity: **Aww poor Daren, well I'd prefer you didn't shoot him – but I guess you can stick duct tape over his mouth if you want lol.

**Ms.SoUrPuSs: **Oh wow you went to China! I bet that was cool. Hope you enjoyed yourself. Oh don't worry about your update, I'll wait patiently!

**Babylight: **Heya glad you like the story so far, hope you like what's gonna happen next.

**HeartlessDevil: **Hmm I would seem that way doesn't it? I guess you'll have to see what happens next…

**AnimeGirl329: **Aww lots of people are feeling sorry for Cassie… personally I kinda feel sorry for Daren though, he was only trying to help – and he really didn't know about the Kai/Tala switch.

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Oh dear Boris worse than dial up? He must be bad then lol. Yeah I reckon chapter 45 will be the last one for this story; I don't know about more stories… it depends how much school work I have this year (I started back today grr)

**Ilovecake2: **Lol your review made me chuckle. Well I won't say how I'm gonna end the story as that would kinda spoil it now lol. But thank you for reviewing, at least someone feels sorry for Daren, I thought I was the only one!

**BloodyShadows: **Thank you for reviewing even though you were in a rush. Glad you like the story s far.

**Kc:** Glad you like the story! Thanks for reviewing.

Right then that's everyone I think. Ok… now I know its kinda demanding to ask of you guys but I have another favour to ask you all. I've been reading a story called **Future X Bladers **and I think its mighty good, however the writer **morjonse **has declared he's going to discontinue the fic because he isn't getting enough reviewers – now I've kinda bartered with him and he's agreed to continue if he gets more reviews. It a cute romance story based on the Beyblader's kids…. Please IM BEGGING for some of you to R&R it, I'd hate to see a good story go to waste! And my plea still stands about **TwinCharm's "What you don't know can't hurt you" **this story is truly amazing and no has reviewed it even after I suggested it… if any of you liked Fantasy Dreams by IceArcherGirl them I'm pretty sure you'll love Twincharm's story – I truly can't give it enough praise.

Sorry if me nagging annoys you, its just I don't like to see really good stories not get the credit they deserve – both of these story's are so different from anything else I've seen, I really don't want to see them go to waste!

Now then onto my own story now eh? I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts.

* * *

**Chapter 42: Manipulation**

Kai sat emotionlessly on his team bench. His eyes never once left the floor in front of him. The cheering crowds did not affect him in the slightest; to him, they were a mere buzzing in his ears. His mind was too well trained to let such a trivial thing interfere with his trail of thought.

He still couldn't believe it was true. How could he have let it happen? It had probably been planned from the beginning, so why didn't he see it coming? Now it was too late. He had given Boris the opportunity he needed – the chance to replace him… Why did he let it happen?

**- Flashback -**

Kai sat in the eerie silence all alone. The dark cast team room reflected the swirling emotions inside of Kai's mind. He was still fuming from the fact Boris had forbidden him to watch the remainder of the semi-finals.

"_You wouldn't want your friend to suffer now, would you Kai?"_

The repulsive words echoed in Kai's mind. Boris had always managed to blackmail him effectively. He had suffered such cruelty in his youth; it annoyed Kai that he was still powerless against the evil man.

He focused all of his attention on cleaning Dranzer. An hour had passed when Tala walked in with a smug look upon his face. Kai paused briefly to look at him, before returning to inspect Dranzer.

The red haired Russian rolled his eyes and sat on a chair in front of Kai. He smirked as he watched his captain focus solely on his blade. Tala's gaze was gradually irritating an already annoyed Kai. Soon Kai could no longer stand it. His head snapped up, and glared at his team mate.

"What?" he snapped

Tala's smirk widened.

"Having fun?"

Kai's eyes darkened as he glared at Tala. Ignoring the boy's comment, he went back to attending Dranzer.

Tala raised an eyebrow before getting up, with a sigh.

"You know it's rude not to answer a question Kai."

Kai flinched and forcefully put Dranzer on a nearby table. He took a deep breath in, obviously to try and stay clam.

"What do you want Tala?"

"Nothing…"

Kai raised his eyebrow, not believing a word the boy said.

"Well… I just thought you'd like to who we're facing in the finals."

"Uhuh… and?"

"You could probably guess – Team Twilight won."

"Hnn"

"But I don't know _when_ we'll be playing them."

"How d'you mean? The finals are tomorrow."

"Well, you see there was a little accident concerning your girlfriend…"

Kai's eyes went wide.

'_Boris – he didn't hurt her did he? But he promised…'_

As if able to read Kai's thoughts Tala smirked

"Oh don't worry, it was nothing to do with Boris. This happened by itself."

"What happened?"

"Hard to say. She got wounded pretty badly in her match - had massive gashes all across that lovely back of hers…"

Kai tried his best to contain his anger; he knew Tala was purposely trying to agitate him.

"Anyway… after she'd used that stone of hers she went all weak. She managed to win her battle, but collapsed soon after – it was quite funny really."

"How the hell is that funny?" demanded Kai. "Is she ok?"

"Dunno, couldn't care really," shrugged the boy. "Though, it would be a waste of that _pretty_ body should she be seriously injured."

That was it! Something snapped inside of Kai. He quickly rose to his feet and pinned Tala to the wall.

"Don't you EVER talk like that about her again!" he bellowed

"My, my you _are_ protective of her, aren't' you? You _do_ realise she's an enemy in this tournament?"

Kai growled

"As far as I'm concerned the only enemies I have in this tournament are in this team! I have no loyalties to people who care only for winning, even if it means they cheat. I care nothing for it! You hear! Nothing! I'm tired of being manipulated by you all! The only reason I'm on this team is because it protects my friends. I wish this team no success, and I _will_ rejoice when the Demolition Boys lose in the finals!"

"_Is that so_?"

The menacing voice froze Kai to the spot. Briefly the boy looked at Tala – the red head smirked smugly. Slowly he let go his team mate and turned to face his coach. Boris stared deep into Kai's crimson orbs.

"So Kai, you have no loyalties to our team? Is that what you think?"

Kai avoided his gaze and looked at the floor.

"Answer me boy!"

Instantly Kai's head shot up and glared at the man

"What's the point in wasting my breath answering something you already know?"

"Don't act smart with me boy,"

"I have a name,"

"You don't deserve to have one, let alone be called a Hiawatri – your grandfather will be most… disappointed when he hears of what you said about this team."

"I don't care what that old fool thinks."

"Silence!" cried Boris, he backhanded Kai, sending the boy slamming into the left wall.

Kai slid gently to the floor, refusing to let Boris see any hint of pain on his face.

"Don't ever let me hear you insult your grandfather again!" Yelled the man

The sheer volume of his voice caused even Tala to flinch.

"I see there is no changing you Kai… I had hoped you would have been as great as your Voltaire had predicted, sadly he was mistaken. I see no point in keeping you as captain of a team you so righteously announced meant nothing to you."

"What!"

"You have disobeyed me too often Kai to protect your worthless friends. I will not have such a traitor leading my team. From now on your title as captain is removed…. Tala?"

"Yes sir?"

The red haired Russian stepped forward hesitantly

"Congratulations, you're our new leader. I hope _you'll_ be more successful than the previous one."

Tala nodded understandingly, but paused to sneer at Kai. In response, Kai growled. Boris smiled at the little scene before him and started to walk away.

"You can't do this!" yelled Kai

Boris stopped dead. He flinched briefly, tensing his shoulders, but then let them relax.

"In case you haven't noticed – I just did," laughed at the man.

Kai's eyes burned into Boris's back as the evil man exited the room. Out of sheer frustration he punched the nearest wall to him. Ignoring the pain he turned to Tala.

"You…" he began as he strode up to the new captain

Tala smirked in amusement.

"You knew he was there…" continued Kai. "…all the time, you saw him there!"

Tala raised an eyebrow

"Your point?" asked the boy with a glint in his eye

"You could have said something!"

"What, and spoil all the fun? I don't think so Kai."

He walked straight past Kai, taking no notice of the glare he was receiving.

"Personally," continued Tala. "I was rather disappointed with Boris's punishment this time… I'd have thought you'd at least get a beating… In my opinion you were let off easily; but then again I suppose this does mean that I'll be the one to face your girlfriend,"

Tala stopped and faced Kai, who eyes had narrowed considerably.

"Interesting one she is," smirked Tala. "I'd imagine having such a strong connection with a Bitbeast, means that battles are potentially fatal for her…"

"If you hurt her…" started Kai dangerously

"It'll seem like an accident," replied Tala lightly. "After all… very few people know that taking Patiere from Cassie could kill her – and I wouldn't know, would I?"

Tala's sadistic smile sent a shiver down Kai's spine. The blue haired Russian now regretted ever telling Boris about Cassie.

"Don't you dare lay a finger on her," warned Kai

"I don't take orders from you anymore Kai – you're below me. Oh and as captain, I've decided that no one is to go out in public until the finals. Not only will it help everyone concentrate on training, but also at the same time, prevent you from telling your little friends about any plans we have."

All hope in Kai left him that very second… there'd be no way of warning Cassie of Tala's plan to take Patiere. He sank to his knees, he had no strength left in him. Tala observed him with enjoyment; the mighty Kai had finally been broken.

"If it makes you feel better Kai, you'll get to battle that guy that kissed your girl. I'm sure she'd love to watch you two fight over her…"

**- End Flashback -**

Since then, he had dreaded when this day should come. He was powerless to help Cassie, and now she was in great danger – all because of him.

In the days leading up to the finals Kai had not dared to even try and escape to warn his friends – he did not want to risk getting caught, or a message being intercepted by Boris. It wasn't the consequences of these that scared him; it was more the chance that he'd be banned from even being in the finals – which meant he defiantly wouldn't be able to help Cassie, if something should go wrong.

He'd kept telling himself over the last week, that Cassie was a strong blader and she could look after herself. Indeed she was possibly even stronger than him. If that was the case then there was nothing to worry about, after all, he'd beaten Tala many times before, so she should be able to as well.

That may have been the case before, but after yesterday Kai was worried. Boris had given Tala a new blade - to be more exact, the one Kai had refused to use in his match against Tyson.

This new Wolborg had the capability to shred Patiere into millions of pieces with one swift blow. Not only this, but the blade had been designed to be best when used on ice – however Kai could not quite understand why they had bothered to do this. Yes, Tala could freeze over the dish if he wanted to, but that would waste valuable energy, thus weakening him considerably. There would be no point. Unless Boris had a secret plan that they'd kept from Kai – it wouldn't surprise him.

Either way, Tala was planning to fight dirty no matter the cost. He knew perfectly what could happen to Cassie if he went too far – but that didn't stop him. Somehow, Boris had convinced Tala, that it was a sacrifice that it had to be done in order to achieve victory.

Kai briefly glanced to his right. Tala sat beside him, his eyes fixed upon his new blade. To Kai, it seemed as if Tala was possessed by his new Wolborg, almost like he had been by Dark Dranzer all that time ago. The red head suddenly turned to face the ex captain; the crazy look in Tala's eyes sent a shiver down Kai's spine, but the boy didn't let him know that, instead he simply grunted before turning to where Cassie's team sat.

Team Twilight seemed absorbed in last minutes check of their blades. However Cassie stopped momentarily, obviously sensing she was being watched, but quickly shook off the feeling and continued tending her blade. A sad smile crept onto Kai's features.

"You can't help her," sneered a voice

Kai flinched as soon as he heard those icy words. He turned to see Tala smirking as he too watched Team Twilight.

"You know that, right Kai?"

The blue haired boy returned his vision towards the girl he loved.

"Hnn,"

"Good."

After a short silence Kai crossed his arms and shut his eyes.

"I still don't agree with what you're planning to do though." He stated

"Oh course you wouldn't… But luckily it's not your place to disagree with my orders now."

"Just because you're captain, don't think that means I'm automatically gonna obey you Tala," sighed the boy.

"Maybe so, but I suggest you do."

"And why's that?"

Tala leant in towards Kai, and whispered in a deadly tone.

"_Because I have the power to decide if you're little girlfriend lives or dies."_

Kai narrowed his eyes.

"Meaning?"

Tala chuckled softly before leaning back.

"Meaning if you attack Daren as I have so thoughtfully planned, and win you battle – then I may just be more forgiving when battling Cassie."

"And if I don't?"

"No. mercy." Replied Tala simply with a smirk.

"That's blackmail." Retorted Kai

Tala raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. Yes I believe it is Kai. But don't worry; you have time during Brian's match to think about it…"

* * *

"Ready Mika?" asked Cassie

"Yup, as ready as I'll ever be,"

The girl put an encouraging hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Just remember, be prepared for anything they might through at us – we don't know what kinda tricks they might play."

Carefully the two boys made their way to the stadium. While they prepared their blades Jazz man occupied the audience.

"This is it boys and girls! The beginning of the finals! Who will win? Only time will tell… Now then the first match will take place in just a moment."

"I hope you don't mind if I make this quick?" sneered Brian

"Oh I'd like to see you try," retorted Mika.

"3…2…1… Let It Rip!"

"Go Chandra!"

"Attack Falborg!"

Brain's teal blade crashed violently into Mika's orange one, causing sparks to fly. Again and again he attacked, not giving Chandra even the chance to return the blows. To Mika, it seemed that Brian wanted to get this match over as quickly as possible.

Within seconds, Falborg was summoned from its blade, the beautiful falcon graced the air with a sense of superiority, while Mika tried desperately to get away from the green blade. Eventually he succeeded and was able to release the Brown Bear Bitbeast.

What followed next was a serious of attacks, whereby Falborg swooped in at Chandra from the air. Luckily for Mika he specialised in defence strategies, but even so, Chandra was weakened slightly each time Falborg attacked. It's sharp talons grazed the bear's back slightly each time, the fresh wounds looked awfully painful though.

The rest of Team Twilight looked anxiously on as they watched the battle unfold.

"Ermm, I don't mean to be the one to doubt Mika… but can he keep his defence up like this?"

Cassie bit her lip

"I don't know Tariq," she whispered

"He's stronger than he looks, don't worry; Mika won't let us down."

"I hope your right Daren… cause it would really help if we could win the first match."

"Patients Tariq… its not over yet," smiled Cassie.

"Falborg! Attack!... Again!... Again!"

Once, twice, three times the teal blade slammed into the sturdy orange one. By now Mika was panting heavily though he still wore a smirk on his face.

"Is that the best you've got?" he jeered

"Far from it," replied a cool Brian. "Falborg, Talon Torture!"

The Korean gasped in horror as the Falcon brutally attacked the Bear with its vicious claws. Mika winced as he felt even more pain emit from his Bitbeast.

"Argh I've had enough of this! Chandra, Swift Swipe!"

As the Falcon came in once again for an attack, Chandra bashed the bird out of the air with one almighty blow from its paw.

"No! Falborg get up!"

But the bird did not respond immediately. Taking advantage of the dazed Bitbeast, Mika ordered his final attack.

"Now's our chance Chandra! Mountain Fury!"

The crowd went silent as they watched Brian's blade fall to pieces in front of him. The Russian dropped to his knees in disbelief, Mika himself was also in shock. He looked around the stadium, his breath rugged; suddenly everybody began cheering for him.

"Well that settles it folks. The winner of this round is Mika! So now Team Twilight are one nil ahead in this gruelling finale."

"Yay! Go Mika!" cheered Cassie as she greeted her friend back to the bench

"We knew you could do it bud," added Tariq

"You did well,"

"Thanks Daren, thanks to you all… I only hope this helps us win overall…."

* * *

Brain slowly made his way back to his own team bench, not daring to make eye contact with his new captain. Kai ignored his team mate, but Tala watched him like a snake, an evil frown spread across his forehead.

As the lilac boy sat down he quickly glanced to the side, and saw Tala staring at him.

"I do not accept failure on my team – your mistake has cost us dearly…" hissed the boy

Brian looked at the floor, and nodded solemnly. Tala then turned his attention to Kai.

"Your up next." He stated with no emotion in his voice.

The blue haired boy clenched Dranzer in his fist before getting to his feet. He began making his way to the stadium when Tala called out;

"Oh and Kai… My offer still stands – not that you really have a choice now. You see if you're defeated too, we lose for good, and the consequences would be… shall we say – unpleasant?"

A low growl escaped Kai's throat as he continued walking towards the dish.

'_Like I have a choice in the matter_,' he thought bitterly

* * *

Yes… so that's another chapter over with. Was it ok? I always get doubtful that they're not very good lol. It took me a while to decide who was actually going to win the battle, first I had Mika, then changed it to Brian, and then back to Mika – I think this will work best in the long run – I hope! Now only about 3 more chapters left!

Please review if you can. I do appreciate any comments you have, and let me know if you have any ideas for the potential sequel. I'll try and update soon, but I've started back at school today so it will all depends on how much work I get. Thanks for reading!

Wreckless Spirit


	43. Deja Vu

Hello everyone! Sorry, but this chapter has taken me ages to write; I just haven't had the time to settle down to it, even though I knew exactly what I wanted to happen! Thank you to everyone who reviewed!

**Night Angel Of Rain: **Aww thank you, though don't put yourself down! I'm sure you're a brilliant writer yourself. By the way I looked at your profile and noticed that you seem to mainly read/write Dragonball stories, so how did you come to mine? Just wondering, you don't have to answer me lol (I'm nosey see)

**Mika: **Yeah I know it's taken me ages to update recently, I blame school! They think we have no lives so give us masses of homework to keep us 'busy'! Hope you can forgive me! Oh and I've only just realised this but your penname is the same as one of my OC's, cool!

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **Ehehe random review as ever Luna! Yeah Tala is pretty evil in this story… and he will get worse I'm afraid! I feel awful because I've taken so long to update, you've managed to update about 3 times in the time its taken me! I hope you can forgive me!

**Silent Storm 2000: **Glad you liked that chapter, I hope you'll like this one just as much! You'll have to see whether your right….

**SpiritualEnergy: **Really? So because of my story you got into fanfiction, aww that's so cool! I'm glad you like it that much. Oh by the way I noticed you've added me onto your C2 thingy, that's cool, I've never been on one of those before – cheers me dears!

**CrimsonSkye06: **Yup Kai must battle Daren, oo the tension!

**Kimkizna: **Thank you for reviewing!

**Ilovecake2: **Heya, yay I've finally updated. Thanks for the two reviews! I really appreciate them, I'll reply to your questions in an email though ok? Its easier for me see. Hope you like this chapter!

**Soullesswinds: **Cool now spelling or grammar mistakes huh? I can't take the credit for that though, spell check on word help me, because if I'm honest I'm not a brilliant speller but hey ho!

**lil' angelgrl: **Here's your update, sorry it's a bit late though!

**zangoose9229: **First off, cool name – I like it a lot! Secondly you check every night? Oh that makes me feels bad cause I haven't update in ages! I'm so sorry. Hope you like this chapter! And no, I'm not gonna tell ya what happens cause that'll spoil it, and then you wouldn't need to read the rest lol:P

**bladebreakers: **I'm afraid Tala is quite evil in this particular story… and he will get worse…

**Diamond Core: **Oh so many questions! And you know what? I'm not gonna answer any:P You'll have to wait and see (I know I'm cruel). Thanks for the many reviews!

**grounded angel: **Glad you like my story so much! Thank you for reviewing! By the way, your review was my 500th congratulations!

**XxKaexX: **Thank you for reviewing. Hope you like this next chapter just as much!

**AnimeGirl329: **Here's the update, hope you enjoy it!

**HeartlessDevil: **I know, I know Tala is rather evil in this story. So I'll warn you in advance that he will get worse, sorry!

**supershark1: **Oh new reviewer, cool! Glad you like my story.

Now then before I go onto the next chapter, I'd like to say that the other day I found my story had been added onto C2 thingy. That was kinda unexpected but nice all the same. So if anyone else wants to use my story for their own one then feel free to, I don't mind!

Disclaimer: I don't own Beyblade, but I do own my OC's and their bitbeast.

* * *

**Chapter 43: Deja Vu**

**Kai's POV**

Daren was already preparing his launcher by the time I reached the stadium platform. I swear the Korean's eyes darkened considerably as he glanced in my direction; to tell the truth, it sent a shiver down my spine – not that I let him know that of course.

Within a few seconds I had prepared Dranzer ready for launch, now all I had to do was wait… Jazzman was still busy blabbering to the crowd. I know that's his job and all but honestly, I just want this whole battle to be over and done with as soon as possible.

I could still feel Daren's deadly glare as I stared solely on Dranzer. One stare was bad enough, but sadly I could also feel Tala's icy orbs piercing my back, along with Boris' evil smirk – and I'm sure my dear grandfather is watching too, but I don't know where from. I don't like attention at the best of times, but this sort of negative focus is well… off-putting, even for an experienced blader like me.

Nevertheless I can't let them get to me, no matter what, I have to win this match – for Cassie's sake. If anything should happen to her because of me I'd… well, I don't know what I do! She's everything to me…

Finally Jazzman stopped talking; now the real battle begins. I gaze down as the stadium floor opens up. Hmm this dish looks interesting… 'Volcano Spectacular' - basically a big volcano in the middle of some trees, shouldn't be too hard to navigate round…

"3…2…1… Let It Rip!"

"Go Kamaria!"

"Fly Dranzer!"

Our two blades collided with such an impact that the whole stadium shook. Several members of the audience screamed in shock whereas the rest cheered with excitement - some people are easily amused.

We attacked each other again this time about half way up the volcano. As our two blades hit, a huge tremor sent several pieces of rock tumbling from the top of the volcano, luckily for me Dranzer avoided them all with ease – but then again so did Daren.

Kamaria seems stronger than I remember. He's much more aggressive too. It seems as if each attack is powered by Daren's anger towards me. But there's something else… it seems strange, but whenever his black and white blade touches Dranzer I feel a surge of betrayal and sadness. Could those emotions be his? I know Daren's deeply protective of Cassie, and I can't seem like the best person to be with her at the moment, but why these emotions?

I summoned Dranzer from her blade, hoping this would quicken my victory.

"Kamaria Twilight Assault!" screamed the blond boy.

The Tasmanian devil emerged from its bitbeast and immediately began nipping at Dranzer's talons. My phoenix screamed in agony, its beautiful legs slowly getting stained with its own blood.

There it is again, _that feeling_ – the hurt and betrayal. It only ever happens when Daren attacks…

"Why are you sad?" I asked

My sudden question must have startled him, as he gasped in surprise.

"W- what?" he stuttered

"Your blade echoes your emotions, why do you feel betrayed?"

"I don't!" answered the boy defiantly

"Your eyes say different," I stated.

"You know nothing of what I feel…" replied the boy darkly.

I watched silently as he glanced to the side, his eyes narrowing as he spotted Cassie.

"I've done everything for her," continued Daren. "I've looked out for her all her life. I took care of her when _you _deserted her, when she cried for _you,_ when _you_ hurt her… But no matter what I do she still thinks of me as a friend, but with _you _it's different. You treat her badly, _break_ her heart, _leave_ her alone, confuse her with this whole tournament – but she still stays loyally by your side – she still loves you, no matter how many times _you hurt her_, she won't give up on you… And _you_… you act as if she means nothing – but she's the only one that can't see that. Do have any idea how that feels?"

As heart breaking as that speech may be, it only angered me… how could he think I didn't care for Cassie?

"Cassie means everything to me!" I replied sternly

"Well you don't act as if she is!"

"You have no idea how much I've had to go through to keep her and the others safe…"

"Kai you always say this, but tell me… what _exactly_ have you done? You never seem to explain this 'fact'…"

A low growl escaped my throat. Was he implying I was lying?

"You want to know what I've had to endure! FINE! I'll tell you!" I shouted

Just then a cough in the form of 'ahem' sounded from behind me. I span around and saw Tala sitting with his arms crossed. A devilish smile spread across his features as he shook his head.

"Nah ah ah, Kai… If you squeal then my deals off, _understand_?" Smirked the Russian

I glared at my new captain.

"Deal? What deal?" demanded Daren

I clenched my fists and shut my eyes before turning back to my competitor.

"I can't say…" I hissed angrily

"Oh really? Now there's a surprise…"

I turned my head away in frustration. This wasn't fair! As much as I wanted to tell Daren, I couldn't – who knows what Tala would do if I did… but by not telling him, Daren would still think me as the bad guy… though I doubt I could change his view on that.

"Just battle ok?" I snapped

I could sense Daren glare at me, but I didn't care. Growing up in the Abbey made me learn not to care what people think of you, so I never do…

"Fine we'll battle Kai… and this time I won't let up on you. Go Kamaria!"

People always say that to me "This time I won't let up on you." Sometimes I wonder why they just don't try harder first time; I mean, telling me what they're going to do is only gonna make me put up a stronger defence.

'_So predicable'_ I thought, but just then I gasped in shock

Kamaria had unexpectedly jumped onto Dranzer's back and was now busy gauging out her beautiful feathers. Sharp prickles erupted up my spine as my phoenix screamed out in pain.

"Shake him off Dranzer!" I called desperately

My bitbeast's efforts were in vain, the Tasmanian devil simply dug its claws further into her elegant back. The pain increased but I didn't let him know that. My whole body tensed up.

"What's the matter Kai? Can't you shake off little o' me?"

Right, I've had enough of him mocking me.

"Dranzer Spiral Flight!"

Dranzer spiralled high into the air, there was no way Kamaria could have stayed on. The heavy bitbeast fell roughly sliding slowly down the volcano. Now was my chance.

"Flame Sabre!"

Scorching red feathers struck an already dazed Kamaria with heavy blows. The blade tumbled into the forest at the foot of the volcano. A dust cloud engulfed where Kamaria had landed. Taking no chances I directed Dranzer to where Daren's blade had fallen.

The dust cloud dispersed to reveal an empty crater.

"What?" I gasped

"Surprised?"

My eyes darted up to meet my opponents. A light emitting from his left hand caught my gaze.

"Do you like my magic trick Kai? Moonstones can be very handy things… I call this move 'Unseen Shadow'. It allows me to move faster than the human eye can see – I might as well be invisible."

The panic must have been visible in my eyes because Daren's lips curled into an impish smile. He knew I now realised I was vulnerable to his attacks, hmm Deja vu….

_**- Flashback -**_

"Dranzer attack!"

The blue blade went in for the kill, but then something unplanned happened. The moon that had lit up the battle went behind a cloud. Darkness fell over everyone. It only lasted a few seconds, but when the moonlight returned, Kamaria was no where to be seen.

"What the?" said Kai as he looked around for his enemy's blade.

"Awww can't you find my blade?" taunted the hooded figure.

Kai grit his teeth and clenched his fists. If he didn't where Kamaria was, Dranzer was vulnerable to a surprise attack.

"Kamaria! Ambush Assault!"

_**- End Flashback -**_

Daren was preparing to attack, I could sense it. My eyes darted desperately around the stadium. Trees and more trees, no blade, nothing – he had to be some where. A twig snapping caught my attention though I didn't turn my head. In stead I listened, focusing all my attention on the sounds that would hint of Kamaria's whereabouts.

Then I saw it, out of the corner of my eye, a tree branch moved.

"I knew you couldn't learn from your mistakes Kai. Ambush Assault!"

With a quick turn to the left Dranzer blocked his attack.

"Oh but I do learn," I replied. "Sadly you don't though. Dranzer finish him off."

My obedient phoenix rose to the command and knocked the Tasmanian devil to the ground in one swift hit.

"Blazing Arrow!"

Two fire beams hit the black and white blade with such force that the blade flew out of the stadium, narrowly missing Daren as it headed towards his team bench, straight towards Cassie…

**Normal POV**

Kai gasped in horror as the burning blade shot towards the girl he loved. Not wanting to see what happened next he turned away.

The silence that filled the stadium filled Kai with a foreboding feeling, but no scream came. Slowly, he dared to open his eyes. They opened wide as his gaze fell upon her.

She sat tall, her right arm bent across her, protecting her face. In this gloved hand she held a smouldering Kamaria; soft whips of steam were still escaping from the warm blade.

"Wow that was close," whispered Mika

Cassie herself looked relieved at her luck. Before she knew it Daren was by her side.

"Are you ok?" he asked

She looked blankly at him before smiling.

"Fine… I believe this is yours," she answered handing back his blade.

An astonished Kai stood still briefly before calling back Dranzer and returning to his team. He wasn't the only one still in shock; the spectators were speechless – so was Jazzman until he was prodded by another attendant to speak.

"Wha- Err – So Kai wins!"

One by one the audience came to their sense and soon the stadium was filled with an enormous applause. However, one person in particular was not clapping…

Kai observed how Tala showed no emotion at all as the blue haired Russian sat down.

"I did as you asked Tala," stated Kai

"Yes and now we're in the final match. But don't worry I'll make sure we win, by whatever means necessary."

"But you said…"

"I said the consequences would be bad if lost your match."

"You promised you wouldn't hurt Cassie…"

Tala rose from his seat and smirked evily.

"I lied."

* * *

Ooo well there's a sort of cliffie for you, aren't I mean? I hope you liked that chapter, though I wonder whether it was a bit dull or not… what do you lot think?

Now then, there's likely to be two more chapters left, possibly one – it depends if I split up the next battle into two parts or not… again, what do you guys what?

Oh and I've thought of a sequel idea, if you want me to write one that is! However I'd still appreciate any suggestion you guys make, so please don't hesitate to say your ideas!

Well that's all from me till next time, I'll try my best and update soonish!

Wreckless Spirit


	44. The Ice Prison

Right then my lovelies, I'm back! Now its only been…. How many weeks? Oh only two – that's quite good for me nowadays lol! Now then this is a super long chapter so I hope you'll all enjoy it. It only took me a day to write, which isn't too bad. Ah thank god for half term, I've finally had the chance to write this!

A BIG thank you too all my patient reviews – see you didn't have to wait too long for this chapter! Sorry I won't be responding to your comments, but I definitely will in the next chapter, ok?

I hope you'll enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their bitbeast.

* * *

**Chapter 44: The Ice Prison**

Cassie watched as Tala made his way to the stadium. She knew it was almost time to face her final opponent.

"You ready?" asked Daren

Slightly surprised, Cassie looked to her friend and nodded silently. She was far from ready, she'd been waiting for this for a long time, and now the opportunity was nigh.

"Do you remember the plan?" she asked

"Yes, the others are in position…are you sure it's legal?"

"I checked with Mr. Dickenson, and he approved providing we only use it in an emergency. I got the feeling that he suspects Tala will play dirty, so we may well need it."

"Kai didn't play dirty though…"

"He never would. But Tala… that's a different story,"

"Just be careful ok?" whispered Daren

"I will." Smiled the girl softly.

Her gaze fell onto the blue haired teen across the room. He seemed somewhat troubled, his fists were clenched tightly and his eyes shut, a pained expression graced his features. She frowned visibly

"Something's not right," whispered the girl

"What?" enquired her blonde friend.

"Err, nothing…. It was nothing important. Just make sure you're all in position should I need you ok?" She replied swiftly

Cassie turned to make her way to Tala, before he could question her any more.

As she approached the stand, she felt Tala's icy orbs watch her every move. Was he checking her out? The thought made her shiver in disgust. Without hesitating she began to prepare her blade, all too aware that his gaze was still upon her.

"Do you have to stare?" she demanded

"Is it against the law?" retorted the boy with a smirk

"Now then lady's and gentlemen. It has been decided that this year's final match shall have a few added twists to it. First off, both teams have been granted one request in order to make this battle even more interesting. Team Twilight have requested an open air arena with solely natural light…"

The sound of the metal roof opening filled the arena. The odd scratching sound made a few of the spectators cringe. Slowly the roof parted to reveal the night sky; a few clouds framed the moon as it shone brightly above the ring.

"… and the Demolition boys have asked for a specific dish to be used."

Tala smirked as the floor opened out to reveal a large stadium covered in ice, in the middle of it stood a huge ice palace.

"… This ladies and gentleman, is the "Ice Royal" stadium."

Kai's head shot up.

'_So that's their game_,' he thought. '_That's why the new Wolbrog specialises on ice… they knew they could ask for an ice ring._'

He glared to his left at Boris who simply smirked. The anger in Kai began to boil. Without warning he stood up and started to charge at Tala. Boris who must have assumed this would happen, signalled for Brian and Spencer to grab the young Russian. However that did not silence the boy.

"You double crossing liar Tala, you knew this would happen! You knew you'd get to use an ice dish to your advantage! Can't you see what he's doing? Boris is just using you! Don't let him Tala, don't use the blade, its not…"

Kai was cut short as Spencer covered his mouth to silence him. The two boys dragged Kai back to the bench where Boris looked ready for murder. He pulled Kai down roughly and whispered into his ear;

"If I were you Kai, I'd stay quiet. You'll only make things worse for yourself and your girlfriend."

Kai tried desperately to respond, but his words were muffled by Spencer's gloved hand.

"Now listen Kai, and listen carefully…. You see up there?"

Boris pointed to a VIP box in the crowd, Kai nodded wearily, and then he saw the silhouette that made his gut turn.

"That's where your grandfather has been watching this match, all this time… that's right, he's watched your every move – he didn't believe me that his own grandson would betray him, but guess what? You've just given me the evidence I need. He isn't very happy now Kai… in fact he was more than displeased with you.

Voltaire only needs one more word out of you, and he'll make sure you learn your lesson. My master can quite easily order for the girl to be… how shall I say? Exterminated? It would be such a shame if that was your fault now, wouldn't it?"

Kai's eyes went wide as he shook his head desperately. Boris grabbed Kai's chin roughly removing Spencer's hand from Kai's mouth.

"You have one more chance Kai. Another peep out of you and your little friend is history. Understand?"

"Yes…" replied the boy darkly

"Good."

Boris threw Kai to the bench

"Now sit sown and enjoy the show! Brian, Spencer, make sure he stays where he is."

Kai's outburst had stunned everyone in the arena including Cassie. A million thoughts flooded her mind.

'_Something is definitely up, Kai's usually so docile, but just then he seemed ready to blow! What's Boris said to him? What ever it was, it made him almost beg… but beg for what?_'

Her thoughts were interrupted by soft laughter that belonged to Tala.

"What are you laughing at?" demanded Cassie

"Him… he's pathetic! He still thinks he can protect you, even now."

"I don't _need_ protecting,"

"Ah but you do, more than you know… you're quite feisty aren't you?"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning exactly as it sounds. So tell me why chose an open air stadium? Isn't it a little dark now?"

"I like it like this, its how I practice in the jungle."

"Interesting,"

"And you? Why chose an ice dish?" asked the girl

"You'll find out soon enough," replied the Russian with an evil smirk.

"3…2…1…Let It Rip!"

The two blades clashed with immediate force before landing back in the dish. Wolborg glided effortlessly around the ice stadium; however Cassie was having far more trouble controlling Patiere.

The purple blade was sliding all over the place. Admittedly Cassie had never even bladed on ice before, and this wasn't exactly the best situation to learn in.

"Wolborg attack!"

Obediently the silver blade hit Cassie's purple one. Bits of blade went flying everywhere.

"What!" exclaimed Cassie

She stood dumfounded. Wolborg had barely touched her blade, but Patiere had already lost a quarter of her attack ring.

"How is that possible!" demanded the girl

"Do you like my new blade?" asked Tala innocently. "Boris designed it for me."

"…"

"Its made of the strongest alloy know to man, practically unbreakable but still sharp as anything – the perfect blade. Oh and it has the little added bonus of specialising on icy terrains…"

"You cheated… there's no way that blade's legal. So that's why you chose this stadium."

"You're cleverer than you look Cassie, well done…. So we bent the rules, big deal, I'm sure you will too, why else would you chose an open air arena?"

"Mine's a back up plan though – in case you did cheat – which you have, and you call Kai predictable?" retorted Cassie dryly

"You dare to insult me! You'll soon regret that. Wolborg!"

The beautiful wolf bitbeast emerged from its blade and began attacking Patiere with such force that Cassie screamed in pain.

"Patiere!"

Once summoned out of her black the Black Panther tried its best to counter attack her opponent, but it was no use, Wolborg's advantage on the ice proved too over powering.

"Blizzard Storm!"

A cold wind surrounded the two blades making Patiere's defence even more difficult.

Tala yawned mockingly.

"This is quite boring. Let's spice it up huh? Wolborg, new target."

Cassie gasped as the boy pointed to her.

Within seconds his silver blade had turned to head straight towards Cassie. Unsure what to do, Cassie braced her self as the giant wolf charged towards her. But the impact never came. Slowly Cassie opened her eyes to see Patiere pinning down the wolf.

Tala was near ballistic; he could not comprehend that his opponent would even be able to match his strength.

"Get up Wolborg!"

Cassie screamed as the wolf made its move by piecing Patiere's shoulder with its teeth. Five red marks on her own shoulder seeped through her white dress. The pain was excruciating, as she clutched her arm desperately.

* * *

Tariq sprinted over to Daren who was on the other side of the stadium; he was closely followed by the other members of Team Twilight.

"What are you doing out of position?" demanded the blonde boy

"Is that blood on Cassie's shoulder?" asked Samir ignoring his friend's comment.

"Yes,"

"Well shouldn't we do something to help her?" asked Tariq

"Not yet…"

"But we can't let her get hurt," protested Mika

"Cassie said only as a last resort to…"

"But she's getting injured, you know what happened when she battled Rei, what is something worse happens?"

"We won't let it get to that, but she wouldn't want us to interfere yet." Reasoned Daren

"But how do you know?" asked Tino

"She's still battling now… Please trust me, I promise we'll help when things get out of hand, so go back to your places and be ready."

The boys grumbled slightly but reluctantly went back to their places around the arena; each ready should their 'plan' come into action.

* * *

"Attack again!" cried Tala

Wolborg snarled as it once again sank its teeth into the Panther's flesh. By now Cassie was feeling the strain, her whole body ached.

'_Hang in there Patiere… he's bound to give us an opportunity to attack soon._'

"Give in yet?" asked the Russian

"Never!" replied the girl defiantly

"Fool!"

Cassie screamed as Wolborg dragged its claws along Patiere's back, she could feel her barely healed wounds from Driger reopen once again. Several warm trickles of blood fell down her back, staining even more of her white dress. Her long black hair flew back as she whipped her head up in pain, tears visible in her eyes.

Kai struggled to move but Brain and Spencer held him down firmly.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded to Boris. "You said…"

"Voltaire changed his mind," interrupted Boris. "He decided this was for the best."

"But you'll kill her!"

"It will be worth it if we get her bitbeast…"

"How dare you!"

He made an attempt to break free but it was futile. Spencer and Brian were too strong.

"I dare because I can Kai – lets face it, you're not really in the position to argue, are you? Now I suggest you watch Tala's new trick you may like it…"

"Please! Spare her, I beg you! I'll do anything…"

"You had your chance and failed. You can watch knowing this is your entire fault."

'_Cassie…_'

The blizzard surrounding Cassie and Tala increased, the girl trembled as the cold flakes stung her skin, she could practically feel her blood freeze.

"Will you still not give up?" asked Tala slightly amused.

"D-does i-it lo-ok like it?" whispered Cassie through chatting teeth

"Very well, but this is the last time I'll let you surrender unhurt."

'_Unhurt!_' snorted Cassie. '_What des he call my back and shoulder? Scratches? Unhurt my arse…'_

"Wolborg Ice Prison!"

"What the.." started Cassie only to stop as she realised what was happening.

Somehow Wolborg started to engulf the stadium including Tala and Cassie into a huge ice structure. The audience gasped in surprise, Kai tried desperately to escape and help Cassie but his team members held him fast.

After only a minute Tala, Cassie, the two blades and Ice Royal had disappeared under the icy blue blanket. Only their distorted figures were visible through the semi transparent ice.

* * *

Cassie was trapped. There was no escape.

"Now this gives us a little more privacy doesn't it?" smirked Tala. "We'll be free from interfering boyfriends now. He should be thankful really. Now he won't be able to hear you scream."

"You're mad," breathed Cassie

"Maybe so… we'll let fate decide that. Its getting a bit warm in here don't you think? Maybe I should make it a bit cooler for us?"

Fear absorbed Cassie as she felt the temperature drop dramatically, the blizzard intensified even more. Too shocked from the cold, she was unaware of Wolborg leaping towards her.

Before she knew it, Cassie was pinned to the ground; able to feel the Wolf's foul breath on her face. It all seemed so familiar, and then she remembered it… her dream.

_**- Flash back -**_

_**Out of nowhere a wolf pounced onto Cassie, pinning her to the floor. She screamed, remembering the time this had happened as a child. **_

_**The wolf growled, its icy eyes piercing her own lilac ones. The warm stench from its breath sent a shiver down her spine.**_

_**- End Flash Back -**_

Likewise to the dream, Patiere immediately knocked Wolborg to the floor before it could harm Cassie. The two beasts became entangled in a vicious scrap, clawing at one another. All of Patiere's wounds were mirrored onto Cassie's own skin. She could withstand most of them, but then Wolborg sank its teeth deeply into the Panther's left side.

* * *

Outside the ice prison very little could be seen, mainly due to the blizzard Tala had created. The occasional flash where the two blades collided was the only distinguishable thing seen.

The members of Team Twilight waited anxiously, as did Kai. The five boys were spread evenly around the stadium, awaiting their orders. Every so often the team members would look to Daren, but he kept shaking his head, mouthing:

"Not yet"

But then it came. A scream. More preciously, Cassie's scream; so loud it echoed around the arena, silencing the vast crowds. Considering no sound had previously come from the ice capsule, the scream was a malevolent sign of what was happening inside.

Team Twilight were taking no chances.

"NOW!" yelled Daren with all his might

All five members of the team; Daren, Samir, Mika, Tariq and Tino thrust their moonstones above their head, and started yelling the sacred words of their village.

"Quen-quailo nee-gano, cu-rundey naythail! QUEN-QUAILO NEE-GANO, CU-RUNDEY NAYTHAIL!"

One by one, their moonstones lit up, illuminating their faces in the dark stadium. When all the stones where lit, a beam of light emitted from each one and flew directly up towards the moon, from there the beam rebounded back down – this time stronger – onto the ice prison.

* * *

A blinding white light overwhelmed Tala and Cassie. The Russian stood confused not quite sure what was happening but Cassie breathed a sigh of relief. Her hand dug deep into her pocket and pulled out her moonstone, glowing the most brilliant white.

"Now it's my turn." Whispered the girl.

"What?" asked the boy confused, but he did not get a direct response.

"Patiere! Quen-quailo nee-gano, cu-rundey naythail!"

The boy gasped as a growing white aura surrounded Cassie.

* * *

Everybody outside in the stadium gasped as the light seemed to increase from inside of the ice prison. It soon became so bright that everybody, save Team Twilight, shielded their eyes from its intensity.

"It won't be long now!" yelled Daren

'_Not long for what?_' wondered Kai

And then he heard it. A single crack; quiet at first, and then more and more. Then it happened, a deafening sound as the ice prison shattered into a million pieces. Shards flew in all direction, causing everyone to fall for cover, but Kai didn't care. The only thing in his mind now was that Cassie was free… but for how long?

* * *

Now that's all I'm gonna put in this chapter. I'm gonna make this a two part thing. But rest assured the next chapter will be the last one! I've already planned what I'm gonna put in it, so yeah, that's about all from me. Hopefully I'll have chance to write it during half term, but who knows?

Please review as your words encourage me to write more! Hope you liked this chapter! Sorry if you didn't! Any question you have, don't hesitate to ask - this will be your last time to ask them after all! I'll update when I can.

Wreckless Spirit


	45. The Spirit of the Black Panther

Heya right then. I really MUST apologise so much to you all. I'd originally finished writing this chapter, well about 2 weeks after I'd posted the last one… but I've been so busy I haven't been able to post it until now. I was really hoping to make my last update efficient – guess that's gone out of the window. Thank you to all my reviewers who reviewed the last chapter!

**Kyogue: **I know, I'm sorry. You all hate cliff hangers, but this one had to be done! Don't worry you'll find out what happens soon enough!

**Luna-chan - A MaSk Of LiEs: **First a poke for Secret Desire, and now a slap? I'm just a punch bag to you aint I:P Ah well. Oh no you have writers block? That can't be good… Is it for Sprits Within? I hope not cause you seemed to have that story planned down to the ground! I know its weird how far we've come since starting writing, its been good though! I'm proud of you too Luna! I hope this update is acceptable! Not too much of wait – I think! Oh and another think, I recall it was you who thought Cassie's dream in chapter 34 reminded you of Tala and Wolborg. You clever girl is all I can say!

**AnimeGirl329: **I've had the idea for this part of the story for AGES, and I mean ages… it's been over a year ago since I first came up with this idea, and I had this finale in my head then! Not bad for some who usually has a bad memory eh? Well glad you liked the chapter. There will be a sequel if you guys want on, so let me know!

**crimsonskye06: **Yup it's the last chapter, so sad… I kinda don't want it to end because I love Cassie and Team Twilight as characters, but I will make a sequel if you lot want one! So let me know! Thank you for reviewing!

**lil' angelgrl: **Sorry but I wanted to end it on a cliffie lol. Oh glad you like the battle scenes, they're the bit I'm least confident about writing, mainly because its so hard to put into word what I'm imagining, if that makes sense! Thank you for reviewing.

**Kimkizna: **Heya, I didn't think two weeks was too bad by my recent standards… it certainly shorter than this update. Sorry for not reviewing your story earlier – it's my fault, I didn't add it onto my alert list so of course I didn't even think to check it! It shouldn't happen again, as I explained in my review cause now its added :) Oh and I'm ok now, I don't have writers block for this chapter, tis all good. Thanks for reading this fic.

**SpiritualEnergy: **Yeah sorry Tala is like the main baddie in the two chapters… If it makes you feel better, then just say to yourself, "He's just brainwashed, he's good really" over and over again. You never know it may be true!

**Night Angel Of Rain: **Ooo one of the best so far? Cool, that's got to be a good thing right? I hope it is. Thanks for the praise!

**DarkTrenital: **Luckily for you, you won't have to wait anymore after this chapter. I hope it meets you expectations! Glad you like the story so far.

**Silent Storm 2000: **Ah yes you are sort of right about the whole ordering Tala to torture Cassie because of Kai scenario. Congrats! Glad you like the chapter so much.

**XxKaexX: **Nope, you misunderstood me; the last chapter and this one are sort of a two part last part of the story. If that makes sense? Basically THIS chapter is the last one. But do not fear, if you want a sequel then just say and I'd bee happy to write one. Luckily I have already thought a new plot for it lol (if you want one of course)

**HeartlessDevil: **Sorry, but I wanted to make these last two chapters as a sort 2 part end for the story. Hope its ok…Glad you like my story!

**Zangoose9229: **Aww well the only reason I haven't answered any of your previous question is because they get answered in the story. Luckily for you though, the thing with Wolborg isn't really explained, so I'll elaborate for you. Basically do you remember in chapter 34, Cassie had that dream? Well in short the dream is coming true… so the wolf in the dream represents Wolborg and the lady that attacks her is supposed to be… well you'll find out that on :P

**Grounded angel: **Heya glad you liked the chapter. I hope you like this final one!

**BloodyShadows: **Yes sadly this chapter is the last, but have no fear there will be a sequel should you want one. Let me know what you think!

**AngeGardenvoir: **Hopefully this update was quick enough for you!

**Ilovecake2: **Heya I like your new review style because now I know which bits you like and why. Ehehe I like your comment about her dress – truth is I don't think she was intending on getting so hurt, plus that is her team costume so she can't really change it. Now about the flash back, yes it did happen – it was in the dream in Chapter 34… Its ok if you didn't like that bit, now that I think about it, you weren't keen on the dream sequence at the time – one thing I would like to say though, when you reviewed chapter 34 you mentioned how the dream would have been good for a battle against Tala, well that had been my plan all along, hence why this battle is happening the way it is – I hope now all the connections make sense. Thanks for your review!

**Bladebreakers: **A matter of life or death eh? Oh dear it's a good job I've updated fairly soon then isn't it? Glad you like the story so far, I hope this last chapter won't disappoint you.

**Richard: **Glad you like my story. I've tried updating as soon as I could!

I think I've mentioned everyone who reviewed, thank you all. Well this is the last chapter, so I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Beyblade, I only own my OC's and their Bitbeasts

* * *

**Chapter 45: The Spirit of the Black Panther**

People screamed as they dodged the razor sharp icy remains of the ice chamber. Many ended up hiding behind, or under their seats; others tried desperately to shield their faces from the shards. Either way the stadium was full of chaos.

In the panic the demolition boys had found cover behind their team bench. Kai slowly picked himself up from the floor. He vaguely remembered after hearing the ice crack, being pushed to the floor by Spencer and Brian.

Deadly icicles were still falling from the sky but he didn't care. He had to check Cassie was ok; he knew she was free, but the scream before this chaos filled him with dread.

Carefully Kai peered over the bench observing the scene before him. Team Twilight were still in their positions, but their faces filled him with concern – they seemed worried, but about what?

Then he saw her.

_Cassie_

The girl seemed in a bad way; panting heavily while on her knees. A huge wound was visible on her left side, along with several others including the ones on her back. Her once white dress was now streaked with blood.

Kai shivered involuntarily.

Although Cassie seemed worse for ware, he knew she still had strength in her – but was it enough to beat Tala?

His gaze shifted to the red haired Russian. Tala stood awkwardly, his breath ragged but generally seemed ok, minus the odd cut here and there. However something had changed, it was then that Kai noticed the evil glint now clear in his eyes.

A small smirk appeared on Tala's face as he watched Cassie. Then very slowly he began to laugh, but it was not a happy laugh. No, there was something far more foreboding in this gesture, and Kai knew it.

Cassie glared at the boy, her look questioning her opponent. As if reading her mind, Tala answered her thoughts.

"You're so helpless now, it's really quite amusing," sneered the boy

The girl narrowed her eyes, and began the painful process of getting to her feet, trying as best she could not to show Tala she was weak form her previous attack.

She glanced briefly to see both Wolborg and Patiere were still spinning. Turning to her left slightly she saw her faithful bitbeast was beside her, looking back to Tala she could make out the Wolf bitbeast was also beside it's master.

"Will you not give up _girl_? You can't possibly still fight." Mocked Tala

"I… never give up" panted Cassie

A devilish grin emerged on the boys face.

"Oh I suggest you do," replied Tala in a malicious tone

Cassie grit her teeth

"I said! I _never_… Give… Up!"

"Fine have it your way. Wolborg!"

The wolf bitbeast launched its way towards Cassie

"Patiere!"

Obediently the Black Panther blocked its attack. The two blades hammered into one another at an immense speed.

"I warned you to give up, but you wouldn't listen! Now you pay the price!"

The silver blade slammed into Cassie's purple one, making it wobble. Again and again it attacked like this, not even giving Cassie time to defend herself. Simultaneously Wolborg attacked Patiere with unspeakable ruthlessness. The panther's cries echoed around the arena, sending a shiver down many people's spine.

Cassie gasped in despair

"No Patiere!"

Then the pain hit her. With each hit it grew. She screamed in agony until she fell to the floor, just managing to support her weight on her arms. Her weak body slumped forward, her body shaking with each struggling breath. Tears welled up in her eyes.

A silver twinkle from Cassie's neck caught Kai's attention. After closer inspection he realised what was reflecting the stadium light:

Her necklace. The same one he had given her all those months ago; the necklace that symbolised their eternal love.

Without realising it, Kai found himself tracing the outline of his own half. He'd forgotten all about it, well not forgotten - he had never taken it off - he had simply not been aware of its presence.

He touched his silvery Yang sign; its warm metal sent an usual feeling down his spine…

'_She never took it off… after all I've done to her… she never took it off.'_

Tala continued to attack, with each blow his eyes widened in a sadistic manner.

The girl screamed in pain once more. She looked to her beloved Bitbeast as it was thrown to the floor by Wolborg. Patiere desperately tried to get up but collapsed on its side.

"No…" she whispered

She felt her energy begin to drain from her, but that didn't not stop Tala. He ordered Wolborg to keep attacking the Panther. Patiere's battered body was thrown across the whole stadium; each time it clawed the ground to escape the murderous wolf.

Tear fell from Cassie's eyes freely.

"Patiere… Hang in there, please…"

Something burned inside of Kai. He looked to Boris and saw the man laughing at the scene before him. How could he laugh at such a thing? Was Boris really that heartless?

With a last ounce of strength, Cassie looked to the demolition boy bench. There she saw the crimson eyes of her boyfriend.

"Help – me… Kai…" she breathed

But it was too late. By now Tala was laughing like a maniac. His eyes had a devilish quality to them.

"Cassie!" yelled Kai

The boy tried desperately to reach her but Spencer and Brain held him back. Boris snarled at the ex captain, slapping him to the floor. Kai fell motionlessly to the floor.

"Quick finish this!" ordered Boris

The red haired Russian nodded, and turned back to Cassie.

"I told you to surrender but you wouldn't. Now you pay with your life!"

Cassie eyes went wide in horror. She gazed at Tala, until her sight fell on a ghostly image beside of him. Maybe she was hallucinating from the loss of blood but it looked so real. There, next to Tala stood the woman from Cassie's dream almost in spirit form. The woman was dressed in the same attire; a long icy-blue dress - her white hair blew gently beside her waist.

Cassie froze as the woman gave her the same haunting smile that she gave in the dream. A smile that chilled the girl to the bone.

"Wolborg!" screamed Tala "Finish it!"

With one last attack the wolf struck Patiere. The panther's body flew one last time in the air then landed lifelessly on the floor. At the same time, her elegant beyblade shattered into hundreds of fragments.

"No!" screamed Cassie

Suddenly the girl stopped screaming. She felt dizzy, her head span violently. She felt her remaining strength drain from her own body. The girl began to panic; the words of her elder rang in her mind.

"_You and Patiere are like one spirit. Use this to your advantage by all means, but be warned, your connection is so strong that one cannot survive without the other…"_

The Spirit of the Black Panther began to weaken. The image of Patiere was fading with every second.

Cassie looked desperately towards Kai's team bench and at the still body of the boy she loved. Her energy was leaving her fast. Then she saw him twitch. Very slowly the boy supported himself by his arms; he looked wearily towards the girl, a small smile appearing on her sad features.

'_Kai…_'

Without warning Cassie's whole body went limp, everything seemed to be going in slow motion as her body collapsed on the ground.

"Noo!" yelled a frantic Kai

Fear consumed his soul as he scrambled to his feet. Boris made a grasp for him but the boy punched him out of the way. The man yelled out in pain, ordering someone to stop him.

Kai sprinted on towards Cassie's lifeless body; he had almost reached her when he heard a deadly voice.

"Wolborg! Stop him!"

Without thinking Kai launched his beloved phoenix with all the emotion he could summon.

"Dranzer!"

Needless to say the phoenix destroyed the silver blade in one movement, the force sending Tala crashing into a nearby wall.

But that did not stop Kai. He ran as fast as he could, skidding along the floor when he finally reached Cassie's still body.

He fell to his knees, gazing at her, unsure of what to do next. His stomach turned when he saw how white she was, and flinched when he touched her cold skin.

"No…" his whispered

Very gently he rolled her onto her back and into his lap. She wasn't breathing. He desperately put his ear to he mouth for any sign of breath, but there was nothing there. He checked for a pulse… nothing.

Fear took hold of him. Tears fell freely from his crimson eyes. He began to cradle her still body desperately.

"You can't die…" he whispered

Daren, Team Twilight, the Bladebreakers and everyone else watched helplessly as the usually emotionless boy broke down.

"You can't leave me Cassie…" mumbled the boy through tears "We promised we'd stayed together forever…"

He tenderly picked up her Yin necklace and fitted it together with his own Yang half.

"See, we're connected – two halves of a whole… you can't leave Cassie, I love you so much…"

Giving into despair the boy closed his eyes and held the girl close, their necklaces still joined.

Everyone now in the stadium was crying freely, the Bladebreakers included. Tyson was trying his best to console his girlfriend.

Suddenly Hilary gasped.

"What is it Hil?" he whispered

"Look!" she breathed whilst pointing at the Cassie and Kai.

Sure enough something strange was happening. The Yin Yang necklace had begun to glow a bright purple colour. Gradually the light grew so that it covered both Cassie and Kai. But Kai seemed too consumed by grief to notice the majority of people gasp in surprise.

With a cry Dranzer emerged from its still spinning blade. The beautiful phoenix called out as the remaining image of Patiere disappeared into a purple light. Specs of the light remained in the air before they slowly moved towards the glowing couple, increasing the brightness of their aura. Dranzer flew gracefully towards its master and without warning wrapped both its fiery wings around Kai and Cassie.

It stayed like that for a second until it called out again with an even louder screech. To spectators it seemed that Dranzer's fire began to shrink. In fact its whole body shrank, but it was shrinking into the joined necklace. Instead of her returning to her bit chip, the fire phoenix had somehow transferred its energy to the Yin Yang sign. The flames faded as Dranzer's tail entered the necklace, as did the purple glow.

Everyone fell silent.

For some reason Kai suddenly felt at peace. Although he never opened his eyes, he was aware of his bitbeast's presence around him. He welcomed the heat from her body.

Now Kai was in an almost trance like state, forever rocking Cassie's body in his arms. Hoping this was just a nightmare. His tears had dried but he dare not open them for fear that this was not a dream…

He jumped suddenly as he felt Cassie's body gain warmth. Hope kindled his heart. She twitched, causing the boy to snap open his eyes. He looked down at the now, not so pale figure in his arms.

A groan escaped Cassie's lips before she awkwardly moved her sleepy body.

"Cassie?" gasped Kai, not quite believing his eyes.

"Kai?" asked Cassie in a sleepy voice

She fluttered her eyes open to see Kai peering down at her. She smiled softly, before yawning. Kai chuckled kindly, a smile edging its way onto his features. Happy tears threatened to fall.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered

"Lost me?"

Cassie looked to Kai with a confused expression, but he nodded sadly.

The girl yawned again, before smiling.

"You should know I'm harder to get rid of than that."

She began laughing but winced when she felt an explosion of pain in her ribs. Kai looked down at her, concern obvious in his eyes, but Cassie waved it off.

"I'm ok," she insisted.

The both smiled, that lie was no way going to fool either of them.

Before she could protest, Kai had picked her up, bridal style.

"I'm not taking any more chances," he reasoned.

Cassie was about to argue when a thought struck her.

"Patiere!" gasped the girl. "Where is she?"

Kai smiled.

"The same place where Dranzer is. Can't you feel it?"

For a brief second Cassie sat confused, but then on reflex placed her Yin necklace in her hand. Kai nodded wisely.

No more words were exchanged between the two. Kai began to carry Cassie out of the stadium. He wanted to leave the tournament behind forever, to take Cassie away from all those that had hurt her, to forget about Boris and all that had happened.

He nodded to Daren, before continuing to leave the stadium. By now the whole crowd was cheering, and crying with happiness.

Cassie smiled to herself as she snuggled into Kai's warm body.

"I love you Kai," she murmured

"I love you too Cass, more than you'll ever know," replied Kai

Although her own body ached from the various cuts and bruises, Cassie knew she was now safe.

She touched her Yin sign again and smiled softly.

The Spirit of the Black Panther had returned.

**The End**

* * *

Hooray! This story is finished! So did you like it? I hope it met all your expectations… I think it's turned out exactly how I wanted to, though I'll probably change my mind soon!

Thank you to all of my patient reviewers for bearing with me the past year and a bit. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this story. If you do want me to do a sequel then do say. However I must warn you it may take me awhile to start writing it, I don't know, it just depends on how much school take over my life!

Thank you to everyone who has supported me in this, my first story on fanfic. I love you guys! Please review!

Wreckless Spirit


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